Parva 1

1.1.1 Ugraśravā, the son of Lomaharṣaṇa, a sūta versed in the Purāṇas, came once to the twelve-year sacrificial session of Śaunaka, lord of the kula, in the Naimiṣa forest.

1.1.2 The son of the sūta approached the brahmarṣis who were seated there, those of sharpened vows, bowing humbly before them.

1.1.3 When he arrived at that hermitage, the ascetics dwelling in the Naimiṣa forest gathered around him, eager to hear his wondrous tales.

1.1.4 Having saluted all those sages with palms joined, he enquired after the progress of their austerities, and was in turn warmly greeted by those good men.

1.1.5 When all the ascetics had taken their seats, Lomaharṣaṇi humbly took the seat that had been indicated for him.

1.1.6 Seeing him comfortably seated and rested, a certain ṛṣi then asked him a question, setting the conversation in motion.

1.1.7 "From where have you come, O Sauta? And where has this time been spent by you? O lotus-eyed one, tell me this, for I am asking."

1.1.8 The sūta said: "I was in the presence of the royal sage Janamejaya, son of Parīkṣit, that great-souled lord among the Pārthas, at his snake sacrifice."

1.1.9 "The highly meritorious and various tales spoken by Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana were duly recited there by Vaiśaṃpāyana as well."

1.1.10 "Having heard those stories of varied meaning, rooted in the Mahābhārata, and having visited many tīrthas and sacred shrines in pilgrimage,"

1.1.11 "I went to that holy place frequented by the twice-born, named Samantapañcaka, where in former times the great battle of the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus, and all the kings of the earth, took place."

1.1.12 "Wishing to see you, I have come from there to your presence. O long-lived ones, you are all, in my view, become Brahman itself."

1.1.13 "O highly fortunate ones, blazing with the splendour of the sun and fire, purified by ritual baths, pure, having completed your mutterings and fed the fires — you sit here at ease. What shall I speak to you, O twice-born ones?"

1.1.14 "Sacred tales rooted in the Purāṇas, or tales rooted in dharma, the histories of kings and of great-souled ṛṣis —"

1.1.15 The ṛṣis said: "That Purāṇa proclaimed by Dvaipāyana, the supreme ṛṣi, which the gods and the brahmarṣis heard and honoured —"

1.1.16 "— that which is foremost among narratives, with its varied words and cantos, endowed with subtle meanings and reasoning, adorned with the purport of the Vedas —"

1.1.17 "— the holy Bhārata itihāsa, united with the meaning of its text, elevated by refinement, spoken in the language of Brahmā, enriched by various śāstras —"

1.1.18 "— which Vaiśaṃpāyana, that ṛṣi, recited duly and with joy to King Janamejaya at the sacrifice, by the command of Dvaipāyana —"

1.1.19 "— we wish to hear that saṃhitā of Vyāsa of wondrous deeds, equal to the four Vedas, righteous and removing the fear of sin."

1.1.20 The sūta said: "Having made obeisance to the primal Puruṣa, the Lord, invoked by many and praised by many, who is the Truth, the one-syllabled Brahman, both manifest and unmanifest, the eternal —"

1.1.21 "— who is both the unreal and the real, who is this universe, who transcends both being and non-being, the creator of the high and the low, the ancient, the supreme, the imperishable —"

1.1.22 "— having bowed to Viṣṇu, the auspicious source of all auspiciousness, the most excellent, sinless, pure, Hṛṣīkeśa, Hari, the teacher of all that moves and does not move —"

1.1.23 "— I shall now fully declare the teaching of Vyāsa of boundless splendour, that great-souled maharṣi honoured throughout all the world."

1.1.24 "Some poets have told this itihāsa on earth; others are telling it even now; and yet others will tell it likewise in the future."

1.1.25 "This great knowledge is established in the three worlds; it is preserved by the twice-born both in its expanded and its condensed forms."

1.1.26 "Adorned with auspicious words, with divine and human usages, furnished with various metres and verses, it is dear to the learned."

1.1.27 "In this state when there was no lustre, no light, when all was enveloped in darkness on every side, there arose the single great Egg, the imperishable seed of all creatures."

1.1.28 "At the beginning of the age, that great divine cause is proclaimed; within it is heard the true light, the eternal Brahman."

1.1.29 "That which is wondrous and unthinkable, which has attained equality everywhere, unmanifest, subtle, the cause — that is of the nature of both being and non-being."

1.1.30 "From that arose the Grandfather, the one Lord, Prajāpati, Brahmā, the teacher of gods, Sthāṇu (Śiva), Manu, Ka, and Parameṣṭhin."

1.1.31 "Then Dakṣa Prācetasa, and the seven sons of Dakṣa — from these arose the twenty-one lords of creatures."

1.1.32 "And the Puruṣa of immeasurable self, whom all the ṛṣis know, the Viśvedevas, the Ādityas, the Vasus, and the two Aśvins as well —"

1.1.33 "— the Yakṣas, Sādhyas, Piśācas, Guhyakas, and the Pitṛs — from these sprang the learned, the well-conducted, the spotless brahmarṣis."

1.1.34 "And many royal sages endowed with all virtues; water, sky, earth, wind, the intermediate regions, and the directions —"

1.1.35 "— the year, the seasons, the months, the fortnights, days and nights in succession — and whatever else came into being that is witnessed by the world —"

1.1.36 "— whatever is seen here, whether stationary or moving — all this universe is drawn back again at the end of the age."

1.1.37 "Just as the many and varied marks of the seasons appear again and again in their cycle, so too do conditions recur at the beginnings of each age."

1.1.38 "Thus this wheel, without beginning or end, causing the dissolution of all beings, without beginning or cessation, revolves in the world."

1.1.39 "Thirty-three thousand, thirty-three hundred, and thirty-three — such, in brief, is the count of the creation of the gods."

1.1.40 "Bṛhadbhānu, son of Divas; Cakṣus; Ātmā; Vibhāvasu; Savitā; Ṛcīka; Arka; Bhānu; Āśāvaha; Ravi —"

1.1.41 "All these are sons of Vivasvat; among them the youngest was Mahya; Devabhrāṭ was Mahya's son; and from him is born one known as Subhrāṭ."

1.1.42 "Subhrāṭ had three sons, bearers of offspring and greatly learned: Daśajyoti, Śatajyoti, and the self-possessed Sahasrajyoti."

1.1.43 "The great-souled Daśajyoti had ten thousand sons; the sons of Śatajyoti here numbered ten times that many."

1.1.44 "And the sons of Sahasrajyoti were ten times greater still; from them arose this lineage of the Kurus, of the Yadus, and of Bharata."

1.1.45 "And the lineages of Yayāti and Ikṣvāku, and of royal sages in every direction — many dynasties and the detailed creation of beings arose from them."

1.1.46 "All the abodes of beings, the threefold secret, the application of the Vedas together with its knowledge, dharma, artha, and kāma as well —"

1.1.47 "— the śāstras of dharma, kāma, and artha, the various other śāstras, and the ordinances for the conduct of worldly life — all this the ṛṣi saw and set down."

1.1.48 "Itihāsas with commentaries, and the various śrutis as well — all of this is traversed here; such is declared to be the scope of this text."

1.1.49 "Having expanded this great knowledge, the ṛṣi also stated it in condensed form; for in the world, both the expanded and the condensed forms are cherished by the learned."

1.1.50 "Some brāhmaṇas study the Bhārata beginning from the Manu episode, others from the Āstīka episode, and still others from the Uparicara episode — each according to his tradition."

1.1.51 "The wise illuminate the various knowledge of the saṃhitā; some are skilled in expounding the text, others in preserving it."

1.1.52 "By austerity and celibate study, having arranged the eternal Veda, the son of Satyavatī composed this holy itihāsa."

1.1.53 "The learned son of Parāśara, the brahmarṣi of sharpened vow, righteous of soul, at the bidding of his mother and of the wise Gāṅgeya —"

1.1.54 "— the mighty Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana formerly fathered, in the field of Vicitravīrya, three offspring of the Kuru line, like three sacred fires."

1.1.55 "Having begotten Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura, the wise one returned once more to his hermitage for austerities."

1.1.56 "When those three were born, had grown up, and had gone to the highest state, that great ṛṣi proclaimed the Bhārata in this human world."

1.1.57 "Being asked by Janamejaya and by thousands of brāhmaṇas, he instructed his disciple Vaiśaṃpāyana, who was seated nearby."

1.1.58 "Seated together with the officiants, Vaiśaṃpāyana caused the Bhārata to be heard, being urged again and again during the intervals of the sacrifice."

1.1.59 "Dvaipāyana properly told of the full extent of the Kuru lineage, the righteousness of Gāndhārī, the wisdom of Kṣattṛ (Vidura), and the fortitude of Kuntī."

1.1.60 "The blessed ṛṣi told of the greatness of Vāsudeva, the truthfulness of the Pāṇḍavas, and the evil conduct of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra."

1.1.61 "He composed the Bhārata saṃhitā of twenty-four thousand verses; without the subsidiary tales, that much is called the Bhārata by the learned."

1.1.62 "After that, the ṛṣi further made a condensed version of one hundred and fifty verses, the index chapter that summarises the contents along with the parvans."

1.1.63 "Dvaipāyana first taught this to his son Śuka; thereafter the lord gave it to other fitting disciples as well."

1.1.64 "Nārada caused the gods to hear it; Asita Devala caused the Pitṛs to hear it; and Śuka caused the Gandharvas, Yakṣas, and Rākṣasas to hear it."

1.1.65 "Duryodhana is a great tree made of wrath; Karṇa is its trunk; Śakuni its branches; Duḥśāsana its abundant flowers and fruit; and the unwise King Dhṛtarāṣṭra is its root."

1.1.66 "Yudhiṣṭhira is a great tree made of dharma; Arjuna is its trunk; Bhīmasena its branches; the twin sons of Mādrī its abundant flowers and fruit; and Kṛṣṇa, Brahman, and the brāhmaṇas are its root."

1.1.67 "Pāṇḍu, having conquered many lands by warfare and valour, lived in the forest devoted to hunting, along with his people."

1.1.68 "By killing a deer in the act of mating, he incurred a terrible calamity; and it was there that the Pārthas were born and the sequence of their customs and conduct began."

1.1.69 "And the assistance of the two mothers with regard to the mystery of dharma — the approach of Dharma, Vāyu, Śakra, and likewise of the two divine Aśvins —"

1.1.70 "— growing up together with ascetics, protected by their mothers, in sacred pure forests and in the hermitages of the great ones —"

1.1.71 "— and the children, handsome, with matted hair, living as celibate students, were then personally brought by the ṛṣis to the Dhārtarāṣṭras —"

1.1.72 "— and saying 'These are your sons, brothers, disciples, and friends — these are the Pāṇḍavas,' the sages then vanished."

1.1.73 "Seeing the Pāṇḍavas presented by them, the Kauravas at that time, and the well-born citizens of all the classes, cried out repeatedly in great joy."

1.1.74 "Some said, 'These are not his sons'; others said, 'They are indeed his.' Still others said, 'Since Pāṇḍu died long ago, how can they be his?'"

1.1.75 "Voices were heard everywhere saying: 'Welcome — by good fortune we behold the offspring of Pāṇḍu! Let welcome be declared!'"

1.1.76 "When that noise died down, a tumultuous sound arose from unseen beings, filling all the directions."

1.1.77 "At the entry of the Pārthas there was a rain of flowers, auspicious fragrances, and the sound of conches and drums — it seemed wondrous."

1.1.78 "And out of the joy of all the citizens, a great joyous sound arose there that touched the sky and magnified their glory."

1.1.79 "And those Pāṇḍavas, having studied all the Vedas and the various śāstras, dwelt there honoured and without fear from any quarter."

1.1.80 "The subjects were gladdened by the purity of Yudhiṣṭhira, by the steadfastness of Bhīmasena, and by the valour of Arjuna —"

1.1.81 By Kuntī's devoted service to her elders and by the humility of the twin sons, the whole world was pleased — as also by their quality of valour.

1.1.82 Then, at the assembly of kings gathered for the princess's self-choice of a husband, Arjuna won Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) by performing a most difficult feat.

1.1.83 From that time onward, he was honoured in this world as the foremost of all bowmen, blazing like the sun and hard to behold even in battle.

1.1.84 Arjuna, having conquered all kings and all great confederacies, brought back to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) the tribute needed for the great Rājasūya sacrifice.

1.1.85 The great Rājasūya sacrifice performed by Yudhiṣṭhira was endowed with abundant food and rich sacrificial fees, adorned with every auspicious quality.

1.1.86 Through the wise counsel of Vāsudeva and through the might of Bhīma and Arjuna, Jarāsaṃdha and the Cedi king (Śiśupāla) — who was proud of his strength — were slain.

1.1.87 Then tribute and homage — jewels, gold, precious gems, cattle, elephants, horses, and wealth — came from every quarter to Duryodhana.

1.1.88 Seeing that great and thriving prosperity of the Pāṇḍavas, an immense rage born of envy arose in him (Duryodhana).

1.1.89 Seeing the assembly hall of the Pāṇḍavas — built with consummate skill by Maya and resembling a celestial palace — presented to them, he was consumed with anguish.

1.1.90 There he had been laughed at by Bhīma — before the very eyes of Vāsudeva — as he stumbled in his confusion, like one of base birth.

1.1.91 Though enjoying varied pleasures and divers jewels, when reported to Dhṛtarāṣṭra he had grown pale, wan, and emaciated.

1.1.92 Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra, doting on his son, consented to the dice game. Hearing of this, Vāsudeva's anger was greatly aroused.

1.1.93 He (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) was not greatly pleased in his heart, yet he approved the quarrels, and looked on while horrible unrighteous acts born of gambling and the like grew and spread.

1.1.94 Setting aside Vidura, Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Kṛpa the son of Śaradvat — in that tumultuous conflict, the kṣatriya warriors destroyed each other.

1.1.95 When the sons of Pāṇḍu were victorious, having heard the most grievous ill tidings and knowing the counsel of Duryodhana, Karṇa, and Śakuni, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflected for a long time and then addressed these words to Saṃjaya.

1.1.96 "Hear everything from me, Saṃjaya — do not find fault with me. You are learned, intelligent, wise, and esteemed by the discerning."

1.1.97 "My mind does not desire this conflict, nor do I rejoice in the destruction of the Kurus. I make no distinction between my own sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu."

1.1.98 "My sons, given over to rage, bear malice toward me in my old age. But I, being blind, endure it out of wretchedness and love for my sons — and I follow foolish, senseless Duryodhana in his delusion."

1.1.99 "Having witnessed the splendour of the mighty Pāṇḍava at the Rājasūya, and then having endured that mockery at the sight of the assembly hall —"

1.1.100 "— burning with indignation yet unable to conquer the Pāṇḍavas in battle, and incapable of winning their prosperity by valiant means like a true kṣatriya, together with the king of Gāndhāra he devised treacherous gambling."

1.1.101 "In that matter, hear from me, Saṃjaya, everything as I came to know it. Having heard my words, which are informed by wisdom and truth, you will then recognise me, O Sūta's son, as one who sees with the eye of understanding."

1.1.102 "When I heard that the wondrous target had been pierced and brought down to earth with a drawn bow, and that Kṛṣṇā had been won before the eyes of all the assembled kings — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.103 "When I heard that Subhadrā, the Mādhavī lady, had been carried off by force by Arjuna at Dvārakā, and that the two heroes of the Vṛṣṇi clan had gone to Indraprastha — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.104 "When I heard that Indra the king of gods had been repelled by Arjuna with divine arrows, and that Agni had been satiated in the Khāṇḍava forest — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.105 "When I heard that Yudhiṣṭhira, his kingdom seized, had been defeated by Śakuni in the dice game, yet was followed into exile by his immeasurable brothers — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.106 "When I heard that Draupadī, weeping in her throat, was dragged in grief to the assembly hall wearing but a single cloth, in her menses, though she had protectors, treated as if she had none — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.107 "When I heard of the manifold endeavours of those righteous ones — the Pāṇḍavas — who set out for the forest and suffered hardship out of loyalty to their eldest brother — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.108 "When I heard that the Dharma-king, dwelling in the forest, was followed by thousands of high-souled brāhmaṇas who were snātakas living on alms — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.109 "When I heard that Arjuna had propitiated the god of gods — three-eyed Tryambaka (Śiva) in the form of a Kirāta — in battle and obtained that great weapon the Pāśupata — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.110 "When I heard that Dhanaṃjaya, dwelling in the heavens, properly received divine weapons from Indra in person — he of firm truth being thus extolled — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.111 "When I heard that Bhīma and the other sons of Pṛthā had met with Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera) in that region inaccessible to mortals — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.112 "When I heard that those who came on the cattle-tour had been captured by the Gandharvas, and were released by Arjuna — the very sons of mine who had set their minds on following Karṇa's counsel — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.113 "When I heard that Dharma in the form of a Yakṣa had met the Dharma-king, O Sūta, posing questions and answering them all correctly — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.114 "When I heard that the foremost of my warriors had been routed single-handedly by the great-souled Dhanaṃjaya while he dwelt in the kingdom of Virāṭa — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.115 "When I heard that the king of Matsya honoured and gave his daughter Uttarā to Arjuna, and that Arjuna accepted her for his son (Abhimanyu) — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.116 "When I heard that seven akṣauhiṇī armies had rallied to Yudhiṣṭhira — he who had been vanquished, stripped of wealth, banished, and separated from his kinsmen — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.117 "When I heard that Nārada declared of those two — Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, who are Nara and Nārāyaṇa — 'I have seen them eternally in the world of Brahmā' — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.118 "When I heard that Mādhava Vāsudeva had committed himself wholly to the Pāṇḍavas' cause — he of whom they say a single stride of his encompasses this earth — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.119 "When I heard that Karṇa and Duryodhana had resolved to seize Keśava, and that he thereupon revealed his own self in manifold forms — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.120 "When I heard that, as Vāsudeva was departing, he stood in front of his chariot, and Pṛthā (Kuntī) in her anguish was comforted by Keśava — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.121 "When I heard that Vāsudeva was their counsellor, that Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu was likewise on their side, and that Droṇa son of Bharadvāja was uttering blessings for them — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.122 "When I heard that Karṇa said to Bhīṣma, 'I shall not fight while you are fighting,' and thereupon abandoned the army and withdrew — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.123 "When I heard that those two — Vāsudeva and Arjuna — and likewise the bow Gāṇḍīva of immeasurable power — these three of fierce valour — had come together — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.124 "When I heard that Arjuna, overwhelmed by despondency, was sinking down on the chariot floor, and that Kṛṣṇa revealed the worlds within his own body — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.125 "When I heard that Bhīṣma, crusher of enemies, was slaying ten thousand charioteers in the battle, and that none of these (Pāṇḍavas) of visible form was being killed — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.126 "When I heard that Bhīṣma — supremely heroic and unassailable in battle — had been felled by Pārtha (Arjuna) after placing Śikhaṇḍin in front — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.127 "When I heard that the aged hero Bhīṣma, having reduced the Somakas to a handful, lay on his bed of arrows, brought down by shafts with beautiful feathering — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.128 "When I heard that as Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, lay (on his arrow-bed) and asked for water, Arjuna, urged to provide it, pierced the earth and there satisfied Bhīṣma's thirst — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.129 "When I heard that both Venus (Śukra) and the Sun were favourably aligned for the sons of Kuntī toward victory, and that beasts of prey always cried out against us — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.130 "When Droṇa, a wondrous warrior, displaying manifold paths of his weapons in battle, still could not slay the foremost of the Pāṇḍavas — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.131 "When I heard that the great warriors on our side, the Saṃśaptakas who had pledged themselves to bring about Arjuna's death, were slain by Arjuna — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.132 "When I heard that the heroic son of Subhadrā (Abhimanyu) alone had broken and entered the battle-array, impenetrable to others, guarded by Droṇa son of Bharadvāja who had taken up his weapons — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.133 "When all the great warriors together surrounded and slew that young Abhimanyu — rejoicing in their faces as they did so — because they were unable to face Pārtha (Arjuna) — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.134 "When I heard that, after Abhimanyu was slain, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra who shouted in foolish exultation had the wrath of Arjuna unleashed upon the Sindhu king (Jayadratha) — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.135 "When I heard that the vow taken by Arjuna to slay the Sindhu king had been fulfilled — true to his word, accomplished in the midst of his enemies — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.136 "When I heard that as Dhanaṃjaya's horses were exhausted, Vāsudeva unharnessed them, watered them, let them recover, then reharnessed them and proceeded — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.137 "When I heard that while the horses were recovering, Arjuna, standing on the chariot platform, held back all the warriors with his Gāṇḍīva bow — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.138 "When I heard that Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki), having crushed Droṇa's army — hard to overcome as it was with the strength of elephants — went to where those two Kṛṣṇa and Pārtha were, following the Vārṣṇeya — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.139 "When I heard that Bhīma, having encountered Karṇa and been spared from death, was struck with the tip of Karṇa's bow and taunted with words of reproach by that hero Karṇa — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.140 "When Droṇa, Kṛtavarman, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Droṇa's son (Aśvatthāman), and the valiant king of Madra could not bear watching the Sindhu king being slain — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.141 "When I heard that the divine Śakti spear given by Indra had been deflected by Mādhava — spent instead against Ghaṭotkaca the Rākṣasa of terrifying form — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.142 "When I heard that in the battle between Karṇa and Ghaṭotkaca the sūta's son (Karṇa) had released the Śakti — by which Savyasācin (Arjuna) would have been slain in combat — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.143 "When I heard that the teacher Droṇa alone, having set aside his weapons on the chariot floor in preparation for death, was slain by Dhṛṣṭadyumna in transgression of dharma — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.144 "When I heard that the son of Mādrī, Nakula the heroic Pāṇḍava, engaged in equal single-chariot combat with Droṇa's son, fighting bravely before the eyes of the world — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.145 "When Droṇa was slain and Droṇa's son unleashed the divine Nārāyaṇa weapon, yet could not bring about the end of the Pāṇḍavas — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.146 "When I heard that Karṇa — supremely heroic, unassailable in battle — was slain by Pārtha in that conflict of brothers, a secret known to the gods — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.147 "When I heard that Droṇa's son, Kṛpa, Duḥśāsana, and fierce Kṛtavarman were unable to overpower Yudhiṣṭhira who stood virtually alone — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.148 "When I heard that the valiant king of Madra — he who always rivalled Kṛṣṇa in battle — was slain in combat by the Dharma-king, O Sūta — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.149 "When I heard that sinful Śakuni — son of Subala, the root of the quarrel and the dice game, relying on his power of illusion — was slain in battle by the Pāṇḍava Sahadeva — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.150 "When I heard that Duryodhana — exhausted, chariotless, his pride shattered — had gone to a lake and stilled its waters to hide within it, lying there alone — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.151 "When I heard that the Pāṇḍavas, standing together with Vāsudeva on the bank of the Gaṅgā lake, were provoking my wrathful son — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.152 "When I heard that, as he circled through the various paths of mace-fighting, he was wrongfully struck down through the stratagem of Vāsudeva — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.153 "When I heard that Droṇa's son and the others slew the Pāñcālas and the sons of Draupadī while they slept — a gruesome, inglorious act — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.154 "When I heard that Aśvatthāman, pursued by Bhīmasena, in his fury unleashed the supreme weapon — the Aiṣīka — by which he struck the embryo in the womb — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.155 "When I heard that the Brahmaśiras weapon fired by Arjuna was peacefully neutralised weapon-against-weapon by Aśvatthāman, and that Aśvatthāman gave up the jewel-gem from his head — then, Saṃjaya, I had no hope of victory."

1.1.156 "When I heard that as Droṇa's son unleashed the great weapon against Uttarā's womb, Dvaipāyana and Keśava cursed Droṇa's son with mutual imprecations — then (I had no hope of victory)."

1.1.157 "Pitiable is Gāndhārī, bereft of sons and grandsons; so too are the daughters-in-law (widows) bereft of fathers and brothers. The Pāṇḍavas have accomplished a most difficult task and have regained a kingdom free of rivals."

1.1.158 "Alas — in the war I have heard that ten survived: three of our side and seven of the Pāṇḍavas'; and eighteen less two akṣauhiṇī armies were destroyed in that great conflict, that slaughter of kṣatriyas."

1.1.159 "I am covered over by darkness; delusion seems to enter me. I cannot recover my senses, O Sūta — my mind seems to reel."

1.1.160 Having said this, Dhṛtarāṣṭra lamented and fell into a swoon in his great grief; then, having recovered his senses, he addressed these words once more to Saṃjaya.

1.1.161 O Sañjaya, now that things have come to this pass, I wish to give up my life without delay, for I see not even the slightest benefit in continuing to live.

1.1.162 To that king, despondent and lamenting thus, the wise son of Gavalgaṇa — Sañjaya — spoke these weighty and momentous words.

1.1.163 You have heard, O king, about those rulers of immense enterprise and great might, as recounted by the sage Dvaipāyana and the wise Nārada.

1.1.164 Born in the greatest of royal lineages, distinguished by every virtue, versed in celestial weapons, and equal in splendour to Indra himself —

1.1.165 — having conquered the earth by righteousness, having performed sacrifices with lavish gifts of honour, having won glory in this world — they too in the end came under the dominion of time.

1.1.166 Vainya the great warrior, heroic Sṛñjaya foremost among conquerors, Suhotra, Rantideva, Kakṣīvān the son of Uśij —

1.1.167 — Bāhlika, Damana, Śaibya, Śaryāti, the unconquerable who was yet conquered, Viśvāmitra the slayer of enemies, mighty Ambarīṣa —

1.1.168 — Marutta, Manu, Ikṣvāku, Gaya, and Bharata himself, Rāma the son of Daśaratha, Śaśabindu, Bhagīratha —

1.1.169 — Yayāti of auspicious deeds, for whom the gods themselves served as officiating priests, and whose whole earth became marked with sacrificial posts and filled with the sounds of soma-pressings —

1.1.170 — these twenty-four kings were thus enumerated long ago by the divine sage Nārada to Śaibya, who was consumed by grief for his son.

1.1.171 And before them still others passed away — kings even mightier, great warriors, noble souls, endowed with every virtue.

1.1.172 Pūru, Kuru, Yadu, Śūra, Viṣvagaśva, Mahādhṛti, Anenā, Yuvanāśva, Kākutstha, Vikramī, Raghu —

1.1.173 — Vijitī, Vītihotra, Bhava, Śveta, Bṛhadguru, Uśīnara, Śataratha, Kaṅka, Duliduh, Druma —

1.1.174 — Dambhodbhava, Para, Vena, Sagara, Saṃkṛti, Nimi, Ajeya, Paraśu, Puṇḍra, Śambhu, Devāvṛdha the sinless —

1.1.175 — Devāhvaya, Supratima, Supratīka, Bṛhadratha, Mahotsāha, Vinītātmā, Sukratu, Nala the lord of Niṣadha —

1.1.176 — Satyavrata, Śāntabhaya, Sumitrā, Subala the mighty lord, Jānujaṅgha, Anaraṇya, Arka, Priyabhṛtya, Śubhavrata —

1.1.177 — Balabandhu, Nirāmarda, Ketuśṛṅga, Bṛhadbala, Dhṛṣṭaketu, Bṛhatketu, Dīptaketu, Nirāmaya —

1.1.178 — Avikṣit, Prabala, Dhūrta, Kṛtabandhu, Dṛḍheṣudhi, Mahāpurāṇa, Saṃbhāvya, Pratyaṅga, Parahā, Śruti —

1.1.179 These and countless others are heard of — hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, and still more counted in the hundreds of millions.

1.1.180 Wise and mighty kings who had renounced the most vast pleasures — they too met their deaths, surpassing even your sons in greatness.

1.1.181 Whose deeds were celestial, whose valour and generosity, whose nobility of soul, reverence for the sacred, truthfulness, purity and straightforwardness —

1.1.182 — are celebrated in the world by scholars, by ancient sages and the greatest of poets — even those endowed with the full wealth of all virtues passed away.

1.1.183 Your sons were evil-minded, consumed by wrath, greedy, and predominantly ill-behaved — you should not grieve for them.

1.1.184 You are learned, O Bhārata, intelligent and wise, esteemed by the wise; those whose understanding follows the scriptures are not deluded.

1.1.185 Both punishment and favour are well known to you, O lord of men; it is taught that one should not be utterly indulgent in shielding one's sons.

1.1.186 What had to be has come to pass — you should not grieve over it. Who, however superior his wisdom, is able to turn back fate?

1.1.187 None transgresses the path ordained by the Creator. All this — existence and non-existence, pleasure and pain — has time as its root.

1.1.188 Time ripens all beings; time dissolves all creatures; and time again pacifies that same time which burns the people to ashes.

1.1.189 Time transforms all conditions in the world, both auspicious and inauspicious; time contracts all creatures and once more releases them; time moves among all beings, unobstructed and impartial.

1.1.190 Past conditions, future ones, and those which exist at present — understanding that all are fashioned by time, you should not abandon your composure.

1.1.191 The Sūta said: Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana declared this holy secret teaching here — that even one who studies with faith a single verse of the meritorious Bhārata is purified of all sins without remainder.

1.1.192 For in this text are celebrated the holy divine sages, as well as the brahmarṣis and rājarṣis of auspicious deeds, and likewise the yakṣas and great serpents.

1.1.193 The eternal Lord Vāsudeva too is celebrated here; for he is truth and righteousness, the pure and the holy.

1.1.194 He is the eternal Brahman supreme, the unchanging and everlasting light, whose divine deeds the wise declare.

1.1.195 From that God proceed the non-existent, the existent, and also both the existent and non-existent together — the continuity of creation, its ongoing activity, birth, death, and rebirth.

1.1.196 And what is heard regarding the Self — that which consists of the qualities of the five elements, and that supreme reality beginning with the Unmanifest — he alone is hymned as all of that.

1.1.197 That which the best of ascetics, intent in meditation and possessed of the power of yoga, behold as dwelling in the self — like a reflection in a mirror — is he.

1.1.198 A person who is faithful, ever diligent, devoted to truth and righteousness, and who regularly studies this chapter is freed from sin.

1.1.199 The believer who continually hears this table-of-contents chapter of the Bhārata from the beginning never sinks in adversities.

1.1.200 Reciting even a little of it at both twilight junctions, one is immediately freed from whatever transgression has been accumulated through the day and the night.

1.1.201 For this is the very body of the Bhārata — both true and immortal; as butter is the essence of curds, so is the brahmin the essence among two-footed beings —

1.1.202 — as the ocean is supreme among lakes and the cow is the highest among four-footed beings, so in the same way the Bhārata is called the most excellent.

1.1.203 Whoever causes even a single verse of it to be recited to brahmins at a śrāddha ceremony — inexhaustible food and drink stands ready for his ancestors.

1.1.204 One should supplement the Veda with the Itihāsa and Purāṇa; the Veda fears the poorly-learned, thinking: 'This person will cross me over wrongly.'

1.1.205 The learned one who causes this Veda of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana to be recited attains its fruit, and sheds even the sin incurred by the slaying of an embryo — without doubt.

1.1.206 Whoever, with a pure heart, recites this chapter at every fortnightly occasion — by him the entire Bhārata may be considered as having been studied, in my judgement.

1.1.207 The person who daily hears this seer-composed text with faith will attain long life, fame, and passage to heaven.

1.1.208 On one side were placed the four Vedas together, and the Bhārata alone on the other side, when the divine sages assembled and weighed them of old; in greatness and in weight the Bhārata was found to be the heavier.

1.1.209 Because of its greatness and because of its weightiness, it is called the Mahābhārata; one who knows its true etymology is freed from all sins.

1.1.210 Austerity is not impurity, nor is study impurity; the natural observance of Vedic duty is not impurity, nor is forceful acquisition of wealth impurity — but those same acts, when tainted by evil intention, become impurity.

1.2.1 The sages said: O son of the sūta, you have mentioned a place called Samantapañcaka — we wish to hear all about it fully and in due order.

1.2.2 The Sūta said: If you, O brāhmaṇas, desire to hear my words and these auspicious tales, then listen, O best of the twice-born, to the account called Samantapañcaka.

1.2.3 At the junction of the Tretā and Dvāpara ages, Rāma — the foremost of those who bear arms — driven by wrath, repeatedly slaughtered the earthly warrior class.

1.2.4 Having extirpated all the kṣatriyas by his own might, blazing like fire, he made five lakes of blood at Samantapañcaka.

1.2.5 In those blood-filled lakes, overcome with rage, he satisfied his ancestors with blood — so we have heard.

1.2.6 Then the ancestors, headed by Ṛcīka, came to that bull among brāhmaṇas and restrained him saying: 'Forgive, forgive!' — and thereupon he desisted.

1.2.7 The holy region near those blood-filled lakes is celebrated as Samantapañcaka.

1.2.8 The wise declare that the region which is identified and distinguished by a particular mark should be named according to that very mark.

1.2.9 And in the interval that arrived between the Dvāpara and Kali ages, the great battle of the Kuru and Pāṇḍava armies took place at Samantapañcaka.

1.2.10 In that supremely righteous land, free from any taint of the earth, eighteen akṣauhiṇī armies assembled, eager for battle.

1.2.11 Thus, O twice-born, has the name of that region come about; and that holy and delightful land has now been described to you.

1.2.12 All this has been told to you by me, O best of sages — how that region has become renowned and celebrated in the three worlds.

1.2.13 The sages said: O son of the sūta, you have used the word 'akṣauhiṇī' — we wish to hear all about that in full and exactly as it is.

1.2.14 Tell us precisely the measure of an akṣauhiṇī in terms of chariots, horses, men and elephants — for all of this is known to you.

1.2.15 The Sūta said: One chariot, one elephant, five foot-soldiers and three horses — this unit, by those who know, is called a patti.

1.2.16 This patti multiplied by three is called a senāmukha by the wise; three senāmukhas together are called one gulma.

1.2.17 Three gulmas constitute a gaṇa; three gaṇas are remembered as a vāhinī; and three vāhinīs are called a pṛtanā by those with discernment.

1.2.18 Three pṛtanās make a camū; three camūs make an anīkinī; and ten anīkinīs, the learned declare, constitute an akṣauhiṇī.

1.2.19 The precise count of chariots in an akṣauhiṇī, O best of the twice-born, as reckoned by those who know the truth of number and calculation, is twenty-one thousand —

1.2.20 — and eight hundred and seventy more; and the count of elephants is exactly this same number.

1.2.21 The number of men, O sinless ones, is to be known as one hundred thousand plus nine thousand and three hundred and fifty.

1.2.22 For horses they give the count, accurately reckoned, as sixty-five thousand and six hundred and ten.

1.2.23 This is what those who know the truth of enumeration call an akṣauhiṇī — which I have now described to you in full detail, O best of the twice-born.

1.2.24 By this reckoning the combined forces of the Kuru and Pāṇḍava armies, O best of the twice-born, were in total exactly eighteen akṣauhiṇīs.

1.2.25 They assembled in that very region and met their destruction there, the Kauravas being made the instrument by time of wondrous deeds.

1.2.26 Bhīṣma, the supreme master of weapons, fought for just ten days; Droṇa then commanded and protected the Kuru army for five days.

1.2.27 Karṇa, crusher of enemy forces, fought for two days; Śalya held command for half a day; after that came the mace-fight.

1.2.28 At the close of that very day, Kṛtavarman son of Hṛdika, Aśvatthāman son of Droṇa, and Kṛpa son of Gautama slaughtered the army of Yudhiṣṭhira while it slept trustingly in the night.

1.2.29 At the sacrifice of Śaunaka I shall narrate the extensive tale of the Bhārata; there also, before it, I shall first tell the story called Pauloma.

1.2.30 That tale of diverse meanings and varied metres, approached by wise men as the liberated approach dispassion — that is the one I shall tell.

1.2.31 Just as the self is the most worthy of all things to be known, and life the most dear of all beloved things, so this history is the foremost in purpose and the greatest among all scriptural traditions.

1.2.32 In this supreme history, the finest intellect has been employed; the entire range of vowels and consonants, all speech rooted in the world and the Veda, finds its home here.

1.2.33 Of this history of the Bhāratas, rich in wisdom, adorned with varied words and divisions, let the summary of the parvas now be heard.

1.2.34 First comes the Index of Parvas; second, the Parva-Compendium; then the Pauṣya, the Pauloma, the Āstīka, and the Descent of the Primeval Lineage.

1.2.35 Then is recounted the Sambhava Parva, wondrous and fashioned by the gods; within it is the burning of the house of lac, and the Hiḍimba Parva is also told.

1.2.36 Then the parva of the slaying of Baka; then the Citraratha Parva; and then is told the parva of the svayamvara of the princess of Pāñcāla.

1.2.37 Having won her by the law of warriors, the Marriage Parva follows; then the parva of Vidura's arrival, and likewise the parva of the obtaining of the kingdom.

1.2.38 The forest sojourn of Arjuna; then the abduction of Subhadrā; after the abduction of Subhadrā comes the parva known as Haranahārika, of gifts for the bride.

1.2.39 Then the burning of the Khāṇḍava forest, and within it the appearance of Maya; then the Sabhā Parva is narrated, and after it the Council Parva.

1.2.40 The parva of the slaying of Jarāsandha; likewise the Digvijaya Parva of conquest of the quarters; after the Digvijaya, the Rājasūya Parva is spoken.

1.2.41 Then the offering of the arghya and the slaying of Śiśupāla; the Dice Parva is then narrated, and after it the Subsequent Dice Parva.

1.2.42 Then the Āraṇyaka Parva, and within it the slaying of Kirmīra; the battle between the Lord Śiva and Arjuna, known as the Kirāta Parva.

1.2.43 Next to be known is the parva of the journey to Indra's world; then the pilgrimage parva of the wise king of the Kurus.

1.2.44 The parva of the slaying of Jaṭāsura; then the combat with the Yakṣa; and right after it is to be known the Ajagara Parva of the great serpent.

1.2.45 The Mārkaṇḍeya Dialogue Parva is told after that; then the parva of the conversation between Draupadī and Satyabhāmā.

1.2.46 Then the Ghoshayatra Parva; then the fear arising from the dream of the deer; then the tale known as Vrihidraounika is narrated immediately after.

1.2.47 The parva of the abduction of Draupadī from the forest by the Sindhu king; then, next here, is told the parva of the theft of the earrings.

1.2.48 Then the Araneya Parva; immediately after, the Virāṭa Parva; the parva of the slaying of the Kīcakas; and then the parva of the cattle-raid.

1.2.49 The marriage of Abhimanyu with the princess of Virāṭa is remembered as a parva; from here onward is to be known the great and wondrous Udyoga Parva.

1.2.50 Next to be known after that is the parva known as the Journey of Sañjaya; then the Prajagara Parva, arising from Dhṛtarāṣṭra's anxiety.

1.2.51 The Sanatsujāta Parva, with its secret vision of the inner self; then the Yamasandhi Parva and the journey of the Lord himself.

1.2.52 Here is to be known the Vivada Parva concerning also the great-souled Karṇa; and then the parva of the setting out of the Kuru and Pāṇḍava armies.

1.2.53 Then the parva of the enumeration of the great chariot-warriors; then the parva of the arrival of Ulūka as envoy, which heightens the fury.

1.2.54 Then the Ambā Episode Parva is to be known after this; the Bhīṣma Installation Parva is to be known as wondrous in its cause.

1.2.55 The creation of the Jambūdvīpa is told as a parva immediately after; then the Bhūmi Parva is to be known, with its account of the extension of the islands.

1.2.56 The Bhagavad Gita is told as a parva; then the fall of Bhīṣma; the installation of Droṇa is told as a parva; and then the slaying of the Saṃśaptakas.

1.2.57 The parva of the slaying of Abhimanyu; and the Vow Parva is recounted; the parva of the slaying of Jayadratha; and then the slaying of Ghaṭotkaca.

1.2.58 Then the parva of the slaying of Droṇa, to be known as hair-raising; the release of the Nārāyaṇa weapon is told as the next parva.

1.2.59 Then the Karṇa Parva is to be known; then the Śalya Parva follows; then the parva of entry into the lake; and after it the mace duel.

1.2.60 Then the Sārasvata Parva, endowed with accounts of pilgrimage sites and lineages; above that, the horrific Sauptika Parva is recounted.

1.2.61 The Aishika Parva is indicated here, exceedingly terrible; then the parva of the water libation; and after that the Stri Parva.

1.2.62 Then is to be known the Śraddhā Parva, the post-mortem rites of the Kurus; then the Installation Parva of the wise king of righteousness.

1.2.63 The parva of the suppression of Charvaka, the demon in brahmin form; and the distribution of houses is told as a parva immediately after.

1.2.64 Then the Śānti Parva, where the duties of kings are expounded; the law in times of distress is told as a parva, and after it the law of liberation.

1.2.65 Then the supreme Anushasanika Parva is fully to be known; then the Svargароhаnika Parva of the wise Bhīṣma.

1.2.66 Then the Aśvamedha Parva, which destroys all sins; after it the Anugita Parva is to be known, which speaks of the inner self.

1.2.67 The parva known as the Forest Hermitage sojourn, and the sight of the sons; then here is told the parva of Nārada's arrival.

1.2.68 Then the terrible Mausala Parva is fully described; then the Mahaprasthana Parva, and after it the Svargarohana Parva.

1.2.69 Then the Harivamsha Parva, a Purāṇa known as a supplement; and the Bhavishya Parva too is told, wondrous and great, also among the supplements.

1.2.70 This full hundred of parvas was spoken by the great-souled Vyāsa, and repeated faithfully by the son of Sūta, Lomaharṣaṇa.

1.2.71 It was narrated in the Naimiṣa forest; the parvas number eighteen in all; this summary of the Bhārata was there set forth as the Parva-Compendium.

1.2.72 In the Pauṣya Parva the greatness of Utanka is described; in the Pauloma Parva the full expansion of the lineage of Bhṛgu is celebrated.

1.2.73 In the Āstīka Parva: the birth of all serpents and of Garuḍa; the churning of the milk-ocean; and also the birth of Uccaiḥśravas.

1.2.74 And the story of King Parīkṣit's son performing the serpent sacrifice, through which this tale of the great-souled Bhāratas came to be told.

1.2.75 The various births of kings are told in the Sambhava Parva, and also those of other brahmins and of the sage Dvaipāyana.

1.2.76 And here is celebrated the descent of portions of the gods, of the daityas, of the danavas, and of the mighty yakshas.

1.2.77 The origins of nagas and serpents, of gandharvas and of birds, and of other diverse beings as well.

1.2.78 The re-birth of the great-souled Vasus in the Gaṅgā, their residence in Śaṃtanu's house, and their ascent once more to heaven.

1.2.79 And also here the birth of Bhīṣma through the combined energy of divine portions; his renunciation of the kingdom; and his steadfast vow of celibacy.

1.2.80 The keeping of his vow; and the protection of Citrāṅgada; and upon Citrāṅgada's death, the protection of his younger brother.

1.2.81 The installation of Vicitravīrya in the kingdom; and the birth of Dharma among humans, arising from the curse of the sage Aṇīmāṇḍavya.

1.2.82 And the begetting by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, born of a boon; the births of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and the Pāṇḍavas.

1.2.83 The journey to Vāraṇāvata; the conspiracy of Duryodhana; and by Vidura's counsel, the construction of the escape tunnel.

1.2.84 In the terrible forest, the Pāṇḍavas' encounter with Hiḍimba; and the birth of Ghaṭotkaca is celebrated right here.

1.2.85 The incognito wandering of the Pāṇḍus; their dwelling in a brahmin's house; the death of Baka; and the amazement of the townspeople.

1.2.86 Having defeated Angarparna on the bank of the Gaṅgā, Arjuna then, together with all his brothers, journeyed toward the Pāñcālas.

1.2.87 Then the Tapatī legend, the Vasiṣṭha legend, and the excellent Aurva legend; the wondrous sub-tale of the five Indras is also told here.

1.2.88 The deliberation of Drupada regarding the five having one wife; and the divinely ordained, superhuman marriage of Draupadī.

1.2.89 The arrival of Vidura; the sight of Keśava; and the dwelling at Khāṇḍavaprastha; and likewise the rule over half the kingdom.

1.2.90 And by Nārada's injunction, the regulation concerning Draupadī; and the sub-tale of Sunda and Upasunda is celebrated there.

1.2.91 The forest sojourn of Pārtha; his meeting on the road with Ulūpī; the journey to holy pilgrimage sites; and the birth of Babhruvāhana.

1.2.92 In Dvārakā, the lovely Subhadrā, enamored of the lover's approach, was won by the diadem-wearer with Vāsudeva's consent.

1.2.93 Taking her away, when Kṛṣṇa the son of Devakī had arrived, the obtaining of the discus and the bow; and the burning of the Khāṇḍava forest.

1.2.94 The birth of Abhimanyu, of supreme radiance, from Subhadrā; the rescue of Maya from the fire; the liberation of the serpent; and the birth of the sharika offspring of the great sage Mandapāla.

1.2.95 Thus this first Adi Parva has been told, vast in its scope; it is reckoned by the supreme sage as two hundred chapters, with eighteen additional chapters set down by the radiant Vyāsa.

1.2.96 Seven thousand shlokas, and nine hundred shlokas, and eighty-four shlokas besides — thus the text was measured by the great-souled one.

1.2.97 The second, the Sabhā Parva, is described as rich in many accounts: the building of the assembly hall by the Pāṇḍavas, and the sight of the servants.

1.2.98 The account of the halls of the world-guardians, from Nārada's sight of those divine abodes; the commencement of the Rājasūya; and likewise the slaying of Jarāsandha.

1.2.99 The liberation by Kṛṣṇa of the kings imprisoned in Girivraja; and at the Rājasūya, during the dispute over the arghya, the slaying of Śiśupāla.

1.2.100 Having seen that splendor of the sacrifice, Duryodhana, seized by grief and indignation, was mocked by Bhīma right there on the floor of the assembly hall.

1.2.101 Where his fury arose, through which he caused the dice game to be played; where the gambler Śakuni defeated the son of Dharma at dice.

1.2.102 Where Draupadī, like a ship on the ocean of dice, rescued them who were drowning; and King Duryodhana, knowing they had crossed over, summoned the Pāṇḍavas once more to the dice game.

1.2.103 All this Sabhā Parva has been recounted by the great-souled one; its chapters are to be known as seventy, plus two more in the count.

1.2.104 Two thousand shlokas, and five hundred shlokas, and eleven shlokas besides — these are to be known as celebrated in this parva.

1.2.105 After this, the third is to be known as the great Āraṇyaka; and also the following of the citizens after the wise son of Dharma.

1.2.106 Where the Vṛṣṇis come and the Pāñcālas in their entirety; where the tale of the slaying of Saubha is told, and likewise the slaying of Kirmīra; and the exile of the boundlessly radiant Pārtha for the sake of weapons.

1.2.107 The battle with Mahādeva in his guise as a Kirāta hunter; the sight of the world-guardians; and indeed the ascent to heaven.

1.2.108 The sight of the great sage Bṛhadaśva, whose soul is cultivated; and the lamentation of the afflicted Yudhiṣṭhira in his misfortune.

1.2.109 The Nala sub-tale right here, righteous and moving to compassion, where Damayantī holds firm during Nala's time of misfortune.

1.2.110 And the great-souled Pāṇḍavas, gone into forest exile — their passage to heaven is narrated by Lomaśa to Arjuna.

1.2.111 The pilgrimage of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas is likewise described here, and the slaying of Jaṭāsura is narrated in that same context.

1.2.112 Bhīmasena, commissioned by Draupadī on the Gandhamādana mountain to fetch mandāra flowers, there assaulted that lotus lake.

1.2.113 There his great battle took place with the rākṣasas and also with the mighty yakṣas headed by Maṇimat.

1.2.114 The tale of Agastya is also there — the devouring of Vātāpi, and the sage's approach to Lopāmudrā for the sake of offspring.

1.2.115 Next in succession comes the tale of the hawk and the pigeon, where Indra, Agni, and Dharma tested King Śibi.

1.2.116 The story of Ṛśyaśṛṅga, a celibate from boyhood, and the deeds of Rāma Jāmadagnya of great splendour.

1.2.117 The slaying of Kārtavīrya and the destruction of the Haihayas are described there, and likewise the tale of Sukanyā, where the sage Cyavana of the Bhārgava line appears.

1.2.118 At Śaryāti's sacrifice the Nāsatya twins made him a drinker of soma, and there that sage was restored to youth by them.

1.2.119 Here too is the tale of Jantu, where King Somaka sacrificed his son to gain offspring and thereby obtained a hundred sons.

1.2.120 Here too is the story of Aṣṭāvakra, where the sage, having defeated Bandin in debate and recovered him from the ocean, regained his father.

1.2.121 Having obtained divine weapons for the sake of his teacher, the left-handed archer fought the Nivātakavacas, the dwellers of the golden city.

1.2.122 Pārtha's reunion with his brothers on the Gandhamādana mountain, and the Ghoṣayātrā, where Kirīṭin fought with the gandharvas.

1.2.123 Their return again to the Dvaitavana lake, and the abduction of Draupadī from her hermitage by Jayadratha.

1.2.124 Where Bhīma, swift as the wind, pursued him; and the tales told in portions within the Mārkaṇḍeya conversations.

1.2.125 The vision of Kṛṣṇa and his dialogue with Satyā, the tale of the grain and the heron, and likewise the story of Indradyumna.

1.2.126 The story of Sāvitrī and of Uddālaka's line, and the tale of the son of Vena, and here too the Rāmāyaṇa episode narrated at great length.

1.2.127 Here the theft of Karṇa's earrings by Purandara; and the tale of the forest-dweller, where Dharma instructed his son; where the Pāṇḍavas, having obtained their boons, went westward.

1.2.128 This third parvan is celebrated as the Āraṇyaka; the great sage has enumerated in it two hundred chapters plus sixty-nine chapters further declared.

1.2.129 Eleven thousand verses, six hundred more, and sixty-four additional verses — such is this parvan as enumerated.

1.2.130 Now understand in detail this expansive Virāṭa parvan: going to Virāṭa's city and seeing the great śamī tree in the cremation ground, the Pāṇḍavas deposited their weapons there.

1.2.131 Where, having entered the city, they lived in disguise; and where the wicked Kīcaka was slain by Vṛkodara.

1.2.132 Where the Kurus were defeated in battle by Pārtha at the cattle raid, and where the cattle wealth of Virāṭa was rescued by the Pāṇḍavas.

1.2.133 Where Uttarā was given by Virāṭa as a daughter-in-law to Kirīṭin, pledged to Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā, the slayer of foes.

1.2.134 This extensive fourth parvan, the Virāṭa, has been described; here too the great soul has counted up the chapters.

1.2.135 Sixty-seven chapters complete — now hear from me the count of verses too: two thousand verses and fifty more are declared in this parvan by the reckoning of the supreme sage.

1.2.136 The Udyoga parvan is to be known as the fifth; hear what follows: when the Pāṇḍavas were encamped at Upaplavya intent on victory, both Duryodhana and Arjuna came before Vāsudeva.

1.2.137 Having said, 'You should render us assistance in this war,' the great-minded Kṛṣṇa then spoke thus.

1.2.138 'Shall I give to which of you my own self who will not fight but will serve as counsellor, O best of men, or an entire akṣauhiṇī of troops?'

1.2.139 The dull-witted Duryodhana of wicked mind chose the army, while Dhanaṃjaya chose Kṛṣṇa, who would not fight, as his counsellor.

1.2.140 Where the mighty Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra dispatched Saṃjaya as an emissary to the Pāṇḍavas for the sake of peace.

1.2.141 And where, upon hearing of the Pāṇḍavas with Vāsudeva at their head, sleeplessness overtook Dhṛtarāṣṭra from his anxious brooding.

1.2.142 Where Vidura caused King Dhṛtarāṣṭra the wise to hear words of varied import and wholesome counsel.

1.2.143 Likewise where the king, afflicted with mental anguish and consumed by grief, was made to hear the supreme teaching on the Self from Sanatsujāta.

1.2.144 Where, at the royal assembly at daybreak, Saṃjaya proclaimed before the king the unity of Vāsudeva and Arjuna.

1.2.145 Where Kṛṣṇa of great glory, moved by compassion and desiring peace, himself came to the city of Nāgasāhvaya to make reconciliation.

1.2.146 And the rejection of Kṛṣṇa, who was beseeching on behalf of the good of both sides, by King Duryodhana.

1.2.147 Having perceived the wicked plotting of Karṇa, Duryodhana, and their allies, Kṛṣṇa there displayed his sovereignty as lord of yoga before the kings.

1.2.148 Where Karṇa, mounted on the chariot, was persuaded by Kṛṣṇa through counsel; yet from his own valour and pride, he refused.

1.2.149 Then also the march forth of chariots, horses, men, and elephants from the city of Hāstinapura, and the enumeration of the forces.

1.2.150 Where the king sent Ulūka as a harsh-spoken emissary to the Pāṇḍavas on the eve of the great battle; the enumeration of maharathas and rathas; and likewise the tale of Ambā.

1.2.151 This fifth parvan of the Bhārata, the Udyoga parvan, is designated as containing very many accounts and pertaining to peace and war.

1.2.152 In terms of count, one hundred and eighty-six chapters are noted here, and six thousand verses, and likewise that many hundreds.

1.2.153 And ninety verses are declared, and likewise eight more, by the great-souled Vyāsa of noble mind in this parvan, O sages rich in austerity.

1.2.154 From this point on the Bhīṣma parvan of manifold import is told; the formation of the Jambū continent is described there by Saṃjaya.

1.2.155 Where a terrible, exceedingly dreadful battle raged for ten days; where the army of Yudhiṣṭhira fell into the deepest despondency.

1.2.156 Where the great-minded Vāsudeva destroyed Pārtha's faintness born of delusion through the reasoned arguments of the teaching of liberation.

1.2.157 Where Pārtha the great archer, placing Śikhaṇḍin in the van, struck Bhīṣma down from his chariot with sharp arrows.

1.2.158 This great sixth parvan of the Bhārata is celebrated; one hundred chapters are declared, and seventeen further.

1.2.159 Five thousand verses, eight hundred more, and eighty-four verses are proclaimed in this parvan — so counted by the Veda-learned Vyāsa in the Bhīṣma parvan.

1.2.160 Then is told the Droṇa parvan, varied and full of many accounts, where the Saṃśaptakas lured Pārtha away from the battlefield.

1.2.161 Where Mahārāja Bhagadatta, equal to Śakra in battle, was slain by Kirīṭin together with his elephant Supratīka.

1.2.162 Where many great warriors of the world, led by Jayadratha, slew Abhimanyu, the young hero who had not yet reached full youth.

1.2.163 Abhimanyu being slain, where the enraged Pārtha in battle, having killed seven akṣauhiṇīs, slew King Jayadratha; and the destruction of the remaining Saṃśaptakas in the combat was accomplished fully.

1.2.164 Alambusa, Śrutāyu, the valiant Jalasandha, Saumadatti, Virāṭa, the great warrior Drupada, Ghaṭotkaca and others were slain in the Droṇa parvan.

1.2.165 And here too Aśvatthāman, when Droṇa had fallen in battle, in his fury released the terrible Nārāyaṇa weapon.

1.2.166 This great seventh parvan of the Bhārata is declared; it is here that those protectors of the earth, those heroic bulls among men designated in the Droṇa parvan, met their end for the most part.

1.2.167 One hundred and seventy chapters are declared, and eight thousand verses and nine hundred more.

1.2.168 And nine verses likewise are here counted by the sage Pārāśarya, the seer of truth, having pondered the Droṇa parvan.

1.2.169 From this point on the supremely marvellous Karṇa parvan is told; the appointment of the wise king of Madra as charioteer; and the ancient legend of the destruction of the triple city is narrated there.

1.2.170 And here during the march the harsh dialogue between Karṇa and Śalya; and the tale of the swan and the crow, full of reproach, is here as well.

1.2.171 And the mutual anger between Yudhiṣṭhira and Kirīṭin; and where the great warrior Karṇa was slain by Pārtha in single chariot combat.

1.2.172 This eighth parvan has been designated by the scholars of the Bhārata; sixty-nine chapters are declared in the Karṇa parvan, and four thousand verses, and nine hundred verses more.

1.2.173 From this point on the Śalya parvan of manifold import is celebrated; when the foremost warriors of the army were slain, the lord of Madra became its leader.

1.2.174 The episodes of chariot battles are celebrated there in parts; the destruction of the chief Kurus is celebrated in the Śalya parvan.

1.2.175 And here the death of Śalya at the hands of Dharmarāja the great warrior; and the tumultuous mace battle is celebrated here as well; and the sanctity of the tīrthas of the Sarasvatī is also celebrated.

1.2.176 This ninth parvan, marvellous and full of meaning, is designated; fifty-nine chapters are counted there by those skilled in enumeration.

1.2.177 Many accounts are enumerated and the verse total is here celebrated: three thousand verses, two hundred and twenty more, composed by the sage in honour of the glorious Kauravas.

1.2.178 From this point I shall speak of the dreadful Sauptika parvan, where the wrathful King Duryodhana lay with his thigh broken.

1.2.179 When the Pārthas had withdrawn, three chariots approached — Kṛtavarman, Kṛpa, and Drauṇi — at evening, drenched in blood.

1.2.180 Where Drauṇi the great warrior, with firm anger, vowed: 'Without killing all the Pāñcālas headed by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and the Pāṇḍavas together with their counsellors, I will not remove my armour.'

1.2.181 Where those bulls among men, led by Drauṇi, slaughtered the Pāñcālas along with their retinue in the night as they slept unsuspecting.

1.2.182 Where those five Pārthas were saved through the protection of Kṛṣṇa's might, and the great archer Sātyaki too, while the rest met their deaths.

1.2.183 Where Draupadī, tormented by grief for her sons and afflicted by the slaughter of her father and brothers, having resolved to fast unto death, sat before her husbands.

1.2.184 Where Bhīma of terrible valour, at Draupadī's words, furiously pursued the son of Bharadvāja, the teacher's son.

1.2.185 Where Drauṇi, driven by fate and in fear of Bhīmasena, released his weapon in rage with the intent 'Let there be no Pāṇḍava offspring.'

1.2.186 'Not so,' said Kṛṣṇa, restraining his words; and there Phālguna appeased that weapon with a counter-weapon.

1.2.187 The mutual curses exchanged among Drauṇi, Dvaipāyana, and others; and the water-rite, the offering of water to all the kings.

1.2.188 And the tale of Karṇa, son of Pṛthā, born in secret — this is here called the tenth parvan, the Sauptika.

1.2.189 Eighteen chapters are declared in this parvan by the great soul; the verse count stated here is eight hundred.

1.2.190 And seventy verses are declared, duly counted, in the parvan comprising the Sauptika and the Aiṣīka together, by the one of boundless intellect.

1.2.191 After this, they speak of the Strī Parva, which arises from grief — where the lamentation of the wives of heroes is remembered as most pitiable, and the rage and subsequent composure of Gāndhārī and Dhṛtarāṣṭra are told.

1.2.192 There they beheld those brave kṣatriyas who had met their fated end without retreating — their sons, brothers, and fathers slain on the battlefield.

1.2.193 There the greatly wise king, foremost among all upholders of dharma, performed the cremation of those royal bodies in accordance with scripture.

1.2.194 This eleventh parva has been described — deeply moving and great; twenty-seven chapters are enumerated in this parva.

1.2.195 Seven hundred and seventy-five verses are said to be in it by count; the tale of the Bhārata composed here by that great-souled author moves the minds of good people to distress and to tears.

1.2.196 After this comes the twelfth parva, the Śānti Parva, which increases wisdom — where king Yudhiṣṭhira, overcome with despair after having caused the slaughter of his elders, brothers, sons, in-laws, and kinsmen, finds peace.

1.2.197 In the Śānti Parva, the duties spoken from the bed of arrows are expounded — those duties which kings who rightly desire knowledge of statecraft ought to know.

1.2.198 There too are the duties in times of distress, which illuminate the causes relating to time — knowing which a person attains complete omniscience; and the varied, extensively elaborated dharmas of liberation are also told there.

1.2.199 This twelfth parva, dear to wise people, has been designated; to be known in this parva, O ascetics, are three hundred and thirty-nine chapters.

1.2.200 Fourteen thousand five hundred and twenty-five verses are said to be enumerated in it.

1.2.201 After this is to be understood the excellent Anuśāsana Parva, where the Kuru king Yudhiṣṭhira, restored to his natural disposition, hears the authoritative determination of dharma from Bhīṣma, the son of the Bhāgīrathī.

1.2.202 Here all of civil conduct oriented toward dharma and artha is taught in its entirety, as are the various categories of merit arising from diverse kinds of gifts.

1.2.203 Likewise the special distinctions of worthy recipients, the highest rule of giving, the practice of rules of conduct, and the supreme course of truth are all set forth.

1.2.204 This Anuśāsana, containing many narratives and supreme, is where Bhīṣma's attainment of heaven is celebrated.

1.2.205 This thirteenth parva, which establishes the conclusions of dharma, contains one hundred and forty-six chapters and six thousand seven hundred verses.

1.2.206 Then comes the fourteenth parva named the Aśvamedhika; it contains the incomparable tale of Saṃvarta and Marutta.

1.2.207 The acquisition of the treasury of gold is told there, as is the birth of Parīkṣit — who had previously been burned by the fire of a weapon and was brought back to life again by Kṛṣṇa.

1.2.208 During the ritual progress, the horse released for the Pāṇḍava is followed, and battles with intolerant princes here and there are narrated.

1.2.209 There the peril of Dhanaṃjaya in battle against Babhruvāhana, son of Citrāṅgadā, born from a daughter given as an heir, is depicted; and the tale of Nakula in the great aśvamedha sacrifice is also told.

1.2.210 Thus this Aśvamedhika Parva, full of great wonders, has been described; one hundred and thirty-three chapters are named in it.

1.2.211 Three thousand three hundred and twenty verses have been counted by the seer of truth.

1.2.212 After that is remembered the fifteenth parva called the Āśramavāsa, where the king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, having renounced his kingdom, together with Gāndhārī, went to his hermitage, and Vidura went with him.

1.2.213 Seeing him set forth, the virtuous Pṛthā also followed then, having given up the kingdom of her son, devoted to serving her elder.

1.2.214 There the king saw his slain sons, grandsons, and other princes — heroes who had gone to another world — returned once more.

1.2.215 By the grace of the ṛṣi Kṛṣṇa (Dvaipāyana), having witnessed that incomparable marvel, he relinquished his grief and together with his wife attained the highest perfection.

1.2.216 There, taking refuge in dharma, Vidura attained a good state; and Saṃjaya too, that great minister, the learned son of Gavalgaṇa, the self-controlled one.

1.2.217 There dharma-king Yudhiṣṭhira saw Nārada, and from Nārada heard of the great destruction of the Vṛṣṇis.

1.2.218 This parva named the Āśramavāsa, described above, full of great marvels, is reckoned to contain forty-two chapters.

1.2.219 One thousand five hundred and six verses have been counted by the seer of truth.

1.2.220 After this, learn of the terrible Mausala Parva, where those tiger-like men, who could endure the touch of weapons in battle, were crushed by the rod of brahmic power, near the salt sea.

1.2.221 Intoxicated with drink in a drinking hall, driven on by fate, they struck one another with thunderbolts in the form of eraka reeds.

1.2.222 There, having wrought the total destruction, those two — Rāma and Keśava — did not transgress the time that had come, the time of universal dissolution, the equalizer.

1.2.223 There Arjuna, that bull among men, came to Dvāravatī emptied of the Vṛṣṇis and fell into profound despondency and great anguish.

1.2.224 Having duly honored Śauri, the best of the Yadus, his own maternal uncle, he witnessed the great carnage of the Yadu heroes in the drinking hall.

1.2.225 He performed the funeral rites for the body of Vāsudeva and of great-souled Rāma, and for the foremost of the Vṛṣṇis.

1.2.226 Taking the old and the young, the people from Dvāravatī, he then witnessed in that terrible calamity the failure of the Gāṇḍīva bow.

1.2.227 He witnessed the unresponsiveness of all the divine weapons, the destruction of the wives of the Vṛṣṇis, and the impermanence of all powers.

1.2.228 Having seen all this and overcome with dispassion, urged by the words of Vyāsa, he approached the dharma-king and resolved upon renunciation.

1.2.229 Thus this Mausala Parva, the sixteenth, has been celebrated; eight chapters are named in it and three hundred verses.

1.2.230 After that is remembered the seventeenth, the Mahāprasthānika, where the Pāṇḍavas, those bulls among men, having renounced their kingdom, together with the goddess Draupadī, attained the highest perfection.

1.2.231 In it three chapters are spoken and one hundred and twenty verses have been counted by the seer of truth.

1.2.232 After that is to be known the Svarga Parva, divine and superhuman; five chapters are counted in this parva, O ascetics, and two hundred verses are reckoned.

1.2.233 In this way eighteen parvas have been described in full; and among the supplements, the Harivaṃśa and the Bhaviṣyat are celebrated.

1.2.234 All of this Bhārata has been narrated through the summary of the parvas; eighteen akṣauhiṇī armies came together out of desire for battle, and that great and terrible war lasted eighteen days.

1.2.235 A twice-born who might know the four Vedas together with their ancillaries and Upaniṣads, but does not know this epic tale — he would not truly be called learned.

1.2.236 Having heard this narrative, nothing else that is fit to be heard pleases — just as after hearing the song of the male cuckoo, the harsh cry of the crow grates.

1.2.237 From this finest of itihāsas, the intellects of poets are born, just as from the five elements the three worlds come into being.

1.2.238 The Purāṇa exists within the domain of this narrative, O twice-born, just as the four kinds of beings exist within the domain of the sky.

1.2.239 This narrative is the refuge of all the qualities of action, just as the diverse activities of the mind are the refuge of all the senses.

1.2.240 Without taking refuge in this narrative, no story exists on earth — just as the sustaining of the body without taking recourse to food.

1.2.241 This narrative is what all the foremost poets live by, as servants seeking advancement live by a nobly born lord.

1.2.242 This immeasurable text issuing from the lips of Dvaipāyana — holy, purifying, sin-removing, and auspicious — whoever thoroughly studies the Bhārata as it is recited: what need has such a one of bathing in the waters of Puṣkara?

1.2.243 This supreme narrative of great meaning, here set forth in this great summary of parvas — hearing it first, people enter it easily, as one crosses the vast salt sea with a vessel.

1.3.1 The Sūta said: Janamejaya, son of Parīkṣit, was engaged in a long sacrifice at Kurukṣetra together with his brothers. His three brothers were Śrutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhīmasena.

1.3.2 While they were seated at that sacrifice, a dog born of Saramā came there; struck by the brothers of Janamejaya, it went crying to its mother.

1.3.3 His mother, seeing him crying, said: 'Why do you weep? By whom have you been struck?'

1.3.4 Thus addressed, he replied to his mother: 'I was struck by the brothers of Janamejaya.'

1.3.5 His mother replied to him: 'Clearly you must have done some wrong there, for which you were struck.'

1.3.6 He replied to her again: 'I have done no wrong at all — I did not look at the oblations, nor did I lick them.'

1.3.7 Hearing this, his mother Saramā, afflicted by grief for her son, went to that sacrifice where Janamejaya with his brothers was engaged in the long sacrifice.

1.3.8 He was addressed there by her in anger: 'My son has done no wrong — for what reason was he struck? Because he was struck though he had done no harm, an unseen fear will come upon you.'

1.3.9 Thus addressed by Saramā, the divine dog, Janamejaya was greatly agitated and distressed.

1.3.10 When that sacrifice was completed, he returned to Hāstinapura and, seeking a suitable purohita, made great effort, thinking: 'One who can cleanse my sin.'

1.3.11 One day, Janamejaya son of Parīkṣit, while out hunting, saw a hermitage in a certain district of his own realm.

1.3.12 There a certain seer named Śrutaśravā dwelt; his beloved son, named Somaśravā, also lived there.

1.3.13 Janamejaya, son of Parīkṣit, approached that son and solicited him for the office of purohita.

1.3.14 He bowed to that ṛṣi and said: 'Blessed one, let this your son be my purohita.'

1.3.15 Thus addressed, he replied: 'O Janamejaya, this son of mine was born of a serpent woman; he is a great ascetic, endowed with Vedic study, sustained by the power of my austerity, having grown in her womb which drank my seed. He is capable of cleansing all your sins — save for a deed against Mahādeva. But he has one secret vow: if any brahmin should ask him for anything, he must give it to that person. If you can accept this, then take him.'

1.3.16 Thus urged, Janamejaya replied to him: 'Blessed one, so it shall be.'

1.3.17 Taking that purohita with him and returning, he said to his brothers: 'I have chosen this preceptor; whatever he says must be done without question.'

1.3.18 Thus instructed by him, his brothers complied. Having so enjoined his brothers, he set out toward Takṣaśilā and brought that region under his control.

1.3.19 Meanwhile, there was a certain seer named Āyoda Dhaumya. He had three disciples: Upamanyu, Āruṇi, and Veda.

1.3.20 He sent one disciple, Āruṇi of Pāñcāla, saying: 'Go and stop up the breach in the field embankment.'

1.3.21 Thus instructed by his teacher, Āruṇi of Pāñcāla went there but was unable to stop up that breach in the field embankment.

1.3.22 Struggling and finding no solution, he thought: 'Let it be — I will do it thus.'

1.3.23 He lay down there in the breach of the field embankment, and with him lying there, the water stopped.

1.3.24 Then one day the teacher Āyoda Dhaumya asked his disciples: 'Where has Āruṇi of Pāñcāla gone?'

1.3.25 They replied: 'He was sent by you yourself, saying: Go and stop up the breach in the field embankment.'

1.3.26 Thus addressed, he said to those disciples: 'Then let us all go to where he is.'

1.3.27 Going there, he called out to summon him: 'Ho, Āruṇi of Pāñcāla, where are you, my dear? Come here!'

1.3.28 Hearing the teacher's words, Āruṇi instantly rose from that field embankment, went to the teacher, and addressed him thus: 'Here I am, venerable sir — I had lain down in the embankment to stop the water that could not be restrained from flowing out. The moment I heard your revered voice, I broke through the embankment and have come to you. I salute you, reverend one; command me — what shall I do?'

1.3.29 The teacher said to him: 'Since you broke open the field embankment and rose from it, you shall henceforth be known by the name Uddālaka.'

1.3.30 Blessed by the teacher, he was told: 'Because you have carried out my words, you shall attain the highest good, all the Vedas shall shine forth in your mind, and all the scriptures of dharma shall be manifest to you.'

1.3.31 Thus addressed by the teacher, he departed to the place he desired.

1.3.32 Now there was another pupil of that same Āyoda Dhaumya, by the name of Upamanyu.

1.3.33 The teacher sent him out, saying: 'Dear Upamanyu, go and tend the cows.'

1.3.34 Obeying the teacher's instruction, he tended the cows. Each day, having tended them until evening, he would return and stand before the teacher and make his obeisance.

1.3.35 The teacher saw that he was well-fed and spoke to him: 'Dear Upamanyu, by what means do you sustain yourself? You are indeed quite stout.'

1.3.36 He replied to the teacher: 'I sustain myself by begging alms.'

1.3.37 The teacher replied to him: 'You must not eat the alms you collect without first offering them to me.'

1.3.38 Agreeing with 'so be it,' he went again to tend the cows, and returning after tending them, he stood before the teacher just as before and made his obeisance.

1.3.39 The teacher, seeing him still just as stout, said: 'Dear Upamanyu, I take all your alms without remainder — by what means do you now sustain yourself?'

1.3.40 Thus addressed by the teacher, he replied: 'After offering the first portion to you, reverend sir, I beg a second round, and by that I sustain myself.'

1.3.41 The teacher replied to him: 'This is not proper conduct toward a teacher. By doing so you obstruct the livelihood of others as well — behaving thus you are greedy.'

1.3.42 Accepting this with 'so be it,' he tended the cows, and after tending them he came again to the teacher's house and stood before the teacher and made his obeisance.

1.3.43 The teacher, seeing him still just as stout, said again: 'I take all your alms, and you beg no second round — yet you are stout. By what means do you sustain yourself?'

1.3.44 He replied to the teacher: 'Sir, I sustain myself on the milk of these cows.'

1.3.45 The teacher replied to him: 'It is not right for you to consume the milk — I have not given you permission for that.'

1.3.46 Accepting this with a promise of 'so be it,' he tended the cows and came again to the teacher's house and stood before the teacher and made his obeisance.

1.3.47 The teacher saw him still stout and said to him: 'You eat no alms, you beg no second round, you drink no milk — yet you are stout. By what means do you sustain yourself?'

1.3.48 Thus addressed, he replied to the teacher: 'Sir, I drink the foam that these calves spit out while suckling at their mothers' udders.'

1.3.49 The teacher replied to him: 'Out of compassion for you, these calves spit out a greater quantity of foam. Even so, by doing this you obstruct the calves' nourishment — behaving thus you have no right to drink even the foam.'

1.3.50 Having promised 'so be it,' he tended the cows without any food. Thus forbidden, he ate no alms, begged no second round, drank no milk, and took no foam.

1.3.51 One day, tormented by hunger in the forest, he ate the leaves of the arka plant.

1.3.52 The arka leaves he had eaten — caustic, pungent, and hot in their digestion — damaged his eyes and he became blind. Wandering about even in his blindness, he fell into a well.

1.3.53 When Upamanyu did not return, the teacher said to the other pupils: 'I have forbidden Upamanyu in every way — surely he is angry and that is why he has not come back; he has been gone a long time.'

1.3.54 Saying this, he went to the forest and called out for Upamanyu: 'Upamanyu, dear child, where are you?'

1.3.55 Hearing that summons from the teacher, he called back loudly: 'Here I am, teacher — I have fallen into a well!'

1.3.56 The teacher said to him: 'How did you come to fall into a well?'

1.3.57 He replied: 'After eating the leaves of the arka plant I became blind, and that is how I fell into the well.'

1.3.58 The teacher said to him: 'Praise the Aśvins — those two divine physicians will restore your sight.'

1.3.59 Thus instructed by the teacher, he began to praise the two divine Aśvins with words and Rigvedic hymns.

1.3.60 I praise with my voice those two who go before all, who were born first, who shine with wondrous light — the blazing ones, boundless, divine, with beautiful wings, pure, glorious in their chariot, who dwell over all the worlds.

1.3.61 Golden birds, companions in battle, the Nāsatyas — the Dasras, fair-nosed, bearing the banner of victory — swiftly weaving brightness, with beautiful loom-work, wrapping around the dark Vivasvat.

1.3.62 The quail that had been seized by the power of the eagle — the Aśvins released her for good fortune; those two of beautiful form, bowing with their wondrous power, led up the dawn-red cows, the very best.

1.3.63 Sixty cows and three hundred milch-cows give birth to a single calf, and they milk him — distributed in various herds, arranged for a single milking — and those two Aśvins milk the warm oblation worthy of praise.

1.3.64 Seven hundred spokes rest upon a single hub; twenty other spokes are set in the felloes — the ageless wheel turns without a rim; with their wondrous power the Aśvins anoint the people.

1.3.65 One wheel turns with twelve spokes, six felloes, six hubs, one axle — the vessel of immortality in which all the gods are suspended on high — let not those two Aśvins who release it be downcast.

1.3.66 The Aśvins, having become more powerful than Indra with nectar, hid him; the Aśvins, lord of the slave woman — splitting the mountain and bringing forth the cow, that day of rain brought the fame of Vala's undoing.

1.3.67 You two give birth to the ten directions at the fore; at the common summit they part on their chariots — in the wake of their going the seers follow after; gods and men walk upon the earth.

1.3.68 You two fashion colors in all their forms; they who dwell over all the worlds — their very rays too go following after; gods and men walk upon the earth.

1.3.69 We invoke you two, the Nāsatya Aśvins, and the garland of the lotus that you wear — you two Nāsatyas, growing strong wrapped in immortality; apart from the gods, she brings that forth by her foremost step.

1.3.70 May those two young ones receive the embryo in the mouth; the dead spirit brings it forth by the forefoot — the embryo, just born, devours the mother; those two Aśvins, release the cows to live.

1.3.71 Thus praised by him, the two Aśvins came and, being pleased, said to him: 'Here is a cake for you — eat it.'

1.3.72 Thus addressed, he replied: 'You two speak no untruth — yet I dare not eat this cake without first presenting it to my teacher.'

1.3.73 Then the two Aśvins said to him: 'Your teacher too praised us in exactly this way before you, and a cake was given by us who were pleased, and he ate it without presenting it to his teacher — you too should do just as the teacher did.'

1.3.74 Thus addressed, he replied once more: 'I respectfully decline, O Aśvins — I dare not consume it without presenting it to my teacher.'

1.3.75 The two Aśvins, being pleased, said to him: 'Well done — through this devoted service to your teacher, your teeth which were of black iron shall become of gold; you shall regain your sight and you shall attain the highest good.'

1.3.76 Thus spoken to by the Aśvins and having regained his sight, he came to the teacher's presence, paid homage to him, and reported everything; and the teacher was pleased with him.

1.3.77 He told him: 'Just as the Aśvins have said, so shall you attain the highest good, and all the Vedas shall shine forth in your mind.'

1.3.78 Such was the testing of Upamanyu as well.

1.3.79 Now there was another pupil of that same Āyoda Dhaumya, by the name of Veda.

1.3.80 The teacher instructed him: 'Dear Veda, you should stay here — you must spend some time serving me in my household. It will be for your highest good.'

1.3.81 Agreeing with 'so be it,' he dwelt in the teacher's household for a long time wholly devoted to serving the teacher — like a draught ox, constantly yoked to the teacher's burdens, enduring the hardships of cold and heat, hunger and thirst, never resistant in any matter.

1.3.82 After a long time the teacher became fully satisfied, and from that satisfaction he bestowed upon him the highest good and omniscience. Such was the testing of Veda as well.

1.3.83 With the teacher's leave, having completed his residence at the teacher's house, he returned to the householder's stage of life. Even while he was dwelling in his own home, he too came to have three pupils.

1.3.84 He gave the pupils no instruction at all — neither 'do this task' nor 'attend upon the teacher' — for being well acquainted himself with the hardships of life in a teacher's house, he was unwilling to burden his pupils with such affliction.

1.3.85 In the course of time, the two Kṣatriyas Janamejaya and Pauṣya came to Veda the Brahmin and chose him as their officiating priest.

1.3.86 When he was once setting out on account of his priestly duties, he commissioned a pupil named Uttaṅka: 'Dear Uttaṅka, whatever may be lacking in my household — I wish that you see to it that nothing falls short.'

1.3.87 Having thus instructed Uttaṅka, Veda departed on his journey.

1.3.88 So Uttaṅka, devoted to service of the teacher and carrying out the teacher's command, continued to dwell at the teacher's household.

1.3.89 While he was staying there, the teacher's wives, gathered together, called him and spoke to him: 'Your teacher's wife is in her fertile season and the teacher is away — see to it that this season of hers does not pass barren; she is distressed.'

1.3.90 Thus addressed, he replied to those women: 'I cannot perform this improper act on the word of women — the teacher has not instructed me to do what ought not to be done.'

1.3.91 After some time the teacher came back home from that journey. Learning everything that had transpired — the full account — he was pleased.

1.3.92 He said to him: 'Dear Uttaṅka, what can I do to please you? You have served me in accordance with dharma, and therefore mutual affection between us has grown; I give you leave to go — you shall attain all accomplishment.'

1.3.93 Thus addressed, he replied: 'What shall I do to please you?' — for thus it is said:

1.3.94 He who speaks contrary to dharma, and he who asks contrary to dharma —

1.3.95 — one of those two perishes and the other acquires enmity. Therefore I, having received your leave, wish to bring you the teacher's gift that you desire.

1.3.96 Thus addressed, the teacher replied: 'Dear Uttaṅka, stay here for the present.'

1.3.97 One day Uttaṅka said to that teacher: 'Command me, reverend sir — what shall I bring as teacher's gift to please you?'

1.3.98 The teacher replied to him: 'Dear Uttaṅka, you press me many times saying "let me bring the teacher's gift." So go, enter here and ask the teacher's wife what you should bring — whatever she tells you, bring that.'

1.3.99 Thus instructed by the teacher, he asked the teacher's wife: 'Revered lady, I have been given leave by the teacher to go home — I wish to depart free of debt by first bringing the teacher's gift that you desire. So please command me: what shall I bring as the teacher's gift?'

1.3.100 The teacher's wife, thus addressed, replied to Uttaṅka: 'Go to King Pauṣya and beg from him — the earrings fastened on his Kṣatriya queen, bring those to me. The auspicious day falls four days from now; I wish to serve the Brahmins wearing them, adorned with those earrings — arrange for them on that day.'

1.3.101 Thus instructed by the teacher's wife, Uttaṅka set out. As he was going along the road, he saw an enormous bull, and mounted upon it a man of equally enormous size.

1.3.102 That man addressed Uttaṅka: 'Uttaṅka, eat this dung of the bull.'

1.3.103 Thus spoken to, he was unwilling.

1.3.104 The man said to him again: 'Eat it, Uttaṅka — do not hesitate. Your teacher ate it before you as well.'

1.3.105 Thus addressed, he said 'very well,' and after eating the dung and drinking the urine of the bull, Uttaṅka set out toward the place where the Kṣatriya Pauṣya was.

1.3.106 Approaching him, Uttaṅka found him seated. Coming near, he greeted him with blessings and said: 'I have come to you as a petitioner.'

1.3.107 Pauṣya, paying him reverence, replied: 'Reverend sir, I am indeed Pauṣya — what may I do for you?'

1.3.108 Uttaṅka spoke to him: 'I have come seeking the earrings for the sake of my teacher. Those earrings that the queen wears — you ought to give them to me.'

1.3.109 Pauṣya replied to him: 'Enter the inner apartments and ask the queen herself.'

1.3.110 Told thus, he entered the inner apartments but did not see the queen.

1.3.111 He said to Pauṣya again: 'It is not right of you to deal with me falsely. The queen is not present in your inner apartments — I do not see her.'

1.3.112 Pauṣya, addressed thus, replied to him: 'Consider first whether you are in a state of having eaten without performing the ritual rinsing. The queen cannot be seen by one who has eaten and is impure; being a devoted wife, she does not come before the sight of one who is unclean.'

1.3.113 Addressed thus, Uttaṅka reflected and said: 'It is true — I did touch water while in a state of ritual impurity after eating, since I was walking hurriedly.'

1.3.114 Pauṣya replied to him: 'That is indeed so — water touched while walking does not count as the proper ritual contact; it must be done while seated still.'

1.3.115 Then Uttaṅka, saying 'so be it,' sat facing east; with hands, feet, and face thoroughly washed, he performed the water-ritual with water that was soundless and pleasing to the heart — drinking three times and wiping twice — and then touched the orifices of the body with water. He entered the inner apartments and beheld the queen.

1.3.116 And she, upon seeing Uttaṅka, rose to receive him, offered him reverence and said: 'Welcome, venerable one. Command me — what shall I do?'

1.3.117 He said to her: 'These earrings have been requested by me for the sake of my teacher — please bestow them.'

1.3.118 She, pleased by that sincerity of his, thinking 'this man is a worthy recipient and one whose request cannot be refused,' removed the earrings and gave them to him.

1.3.119 And she said to him: 'Takṣaka, the king of the serpents, covets these earrings — carry them away with vigilance.'

1.3.120 Addressed thus, he replied to the queen: 'Be at ease, my lady. Takṣaka, the king of the serpents, is not able to assail me.'

1.3.121 Having spoken thus and taken leave of the queen, he returned to where Pauṣya was.

1.3.122 Seeing him, he said: 'I am pleased, O Pauṣya.'

1.3.123 Pauṣya replied to him: 'Reverend sir, a worthy recipient is encountered only after a long time, and you are a guest endowed with virtues. I shall perform the ancestral śrāddha ceremony — please wait a moment.'

1.3.124 Uttaṅka replied to him: 'The moment is already set for me — I wish whatever food is readily available to be served quickly.'

1.3.125 He said 'so be it' and fed him with whatever food was at hand.

1.3.126 But Uttaṅka, seeing the food was cold and contained a hair, considered it impure and said to Pauṣya: 'Since you give me impure food, you shall become blind.'

1.3.127 Pauṣya replied to him: 'Since you too condemn food that is not defiled, you shall be without offspring.'

1.3.128 Then Pauṣya proved the impure state of the food.

1.3.129 Then, the food having been brought by a woman with loosened hair, and being found to contain hair and to be cold and impure, he sought to appease Uttaṅka: 'Reverend sir, through ignorance this food was brought to you with hair in it and cold. I beg your forgiveness — may I not become blind.'

1.3.130 Uttaṅka replied to him: 'I do not speak falsely — you shall become blind and before long become sighted again. And let the curse you have uttered upon me also not come to pass.'

1.3.131 Pauṣya replied to him: 'I am not able to take back the curse, for my anger has not yet subsided. Moreover, do you not know this truth —'

1.3.132 'The heart of a brahmin is soft as butter, yet on his tongue is placed a razor sharp-edged. The opposite holds for the warrior: his speech is not soft as butter, but his heart is keen-edged.'

1.3.133 'Thus being so, I am not able to undo that curse, for my heart is sharp. Go your way.'

1.3.134 Uttaṅka replied to him: 'I have been shown the impure state of the food by you and have been propitiated. Yet earlier you said to me: "Since you condemn food that is not defiled, you shall be without offspring." Since the food was indeed defiled, this curse of mine shall not take effect.'

1.3.135 Saying 'Let us now complete our task,' Uttaṅka departed, taking the earrings with him.

1.3.136 On the path he saw a naked mendicant approaching, appearing and disappearing again and again. Then Uttaṅka set those earrings down on the ground and went in search of water.

1.3.137 In that interval, the mendicant swiftly approached, seized the earrings and fled. Uttaṅka pursued and caught hold of him. The mendicant, abandoning that form and assuming the form of Takṣaka, suddenly entered a great burrow that opened in the earth.

1.3.138 Entering the realm of the serpents, he went to his own abode. Uttaṅka followed him through that same burrow, and having entered, he praised the serpents with these verses.

1.3.139 'Those serpents who are kings descended from Airāvata, resplendent in assembly, like rain-clouds with lightning, stirred by the wind —'

1.3.140 '— beautiful and ugly alike, with dappled earrings, those born of Airāvata shone like the sun in the vault of heaven.'

1.3.141 'Many are the serpent-paths along the northern bank of the Gaṅgā — who would wish to move through the army of the sun's rays without Airāvata?'

1.3.142 'Eight hundred and eighty hundreds, and twenty thousands — so many multitudes of serpents proceed forth whenever Dhṛtarāṣṭra stirs.'

1.3.143 'Those who approach him and those who have gone far beyond — to the elder brothers of Airāvata I have made my obeisance.'

1.3.144 'Him whose dwelling was always in Kurukṣetra and in the Khāṇḍava forest — that son of Kadrū, Takṣaka, I now praise for the sake of the earrings.'

1.3.145 'Takṣaka and Aśvasena, those two who are constant companions, dwell in Kurukṣetra along the river Ikṣumatī.'

1.3.146 'The youngest-born of Takṣaka, known as Śrutasena, who is destined to eclipse great glory while seeking the foremost rank among the serpents — to that great-souled one I shall always give reverence.'

1.3.147 Even as he praised the serpents thus, when he still did not obtain the earrings, he then saw two women who, having placed cloth on a loom, were weaving fabric.

1.3.148 And in that loom were black and white threads. He also saw a wheel being turned by six youths, and he saw a handsome man.

1.3.149 He praised all of them with these verses of sacred incantation.

1.3.150 'Three hundred are set in the middle of it, and sixty move perpetually in this fixed wheel — joined in twenty-four segments — which the six youths turn.'

1.3.151 'And this loom of universal form — two young women weaving, perpetually drawing out threads, turning the black and white ones unceasingly — all beings and all the worlds are woven upon it.'

1.3.152 'The bearer of the thunderbolt, the protector of the worlds, the slayer of Vṛtra, the destroyer of Namuci — that great-souled one who wears dark garments, who distinguishes truth from falsehood in the world —'

1.3.153 '— who has mounted the ancient embryo of the waters, the horse, whose vehicle is the fire of Vaiśvānara — homage always to him, the lord of the universe, the ruler of the three worlds, the destroyer of citadels.'

1.3.154 Then that man said to him: 'I am pleased with you by this hymn of praise. What that is dear to you shall I do?'

1.3.155 He said to him: 'May the serpents come under my control.'

1.3.156 That man said to him again: 'Blow into the lower aperture of this horse.'

1.3.157 He blew into the lower aperture of the horse. Then, as the horse was blown into, from all its orifices flames of fire with billowing smoke burst forth.

1.3.158 By those flames the serpent world was fumigated.

1.3.159 Then Takṣaka, in great agitation and terrified by the power of the fire, seized the earrings and swiftly emerged from his own abode and said to Uttaṅka: 'Please accept these earrings, reverend sir.'

1.3.160 Uttaṅka received those earrings. Having received them he reflected: 'Today is the auspicious day of my teacher's wife, and I have come from far away — how indeed shall I reach her in time?'

1.3.161 Then, even as he was thus reflecting, that man said to him: 'Uttaṅka, mount this horse — it will bring you to your teacher's household in a moment.'

1.3.162 Saying 'so be it,' he mounted that horse and returned to his teacher's household. The teacher's wife, having bathed and sitting with her hair being dressed, was about to resolve in her mind to curse Uttaṅka since he had not yet come.

1.3.163 Then Uttaṅka entered, paid his respects to the teacher's wife, and offered her those earrings.

1.3.164 She replied to him: 'Uttaṅka, you have arrived at the right place and time. Welcome, dear child. You are only barely not cursed by me. Good fortune attends you — may you attain fulfillment.'

1.3.165 Then Uttaṅka paid reverence to his teacher. The teacher replied to him: 'Welcome, dear Uttaṅka. Why were you delayed so long?'

1.3.166 Uttaṅka replied to his teacher: 'Sir, an obstruction was caused in this undertaking by Takṣaka, king of the serpents — he carried me off to the serpent world.'

1.3.167 'There I saw two women who, having placed cloth upon a loom, were weaving, with black and white threads in that loom — what does that signify?'

1.3.168 'There too I saw a wheel with twelve spokes, and six youths turning it — what does that signify as well?'

1.3.169 'And I also saw a man — who then is he?'

1.3.170 'And a horse of extraordinary size — who is that also?'

1.3.171 'While going along the path I saw a great bull, and a man was mounted upon it. That man addressed me with courtesy: "Uttaṅka, eat the dung of this bull — your teacher has also eaten it." Then, upon his word, I consumed the dung of that bull. I wish to know what all of this means as explained by you.'

1.3.172 Addressed thus, the teacher replied: 'Those two women are Dhātā and Vidhātā; those black and white threads are night and day.'

1.3.173 'That wheel with twelve spokes that the six youths turn — those six are the seasons, and the wheel is the year. The man is Parjanya, the rain-god; the horse is Agni, the fire.'

1.3.174 'That bull you saw as you went along the path — that is Airāvata, king of the serpents. He who was mounted upon it is Indra. And that dung of the bull that you consumed — that is ambrosia, the nectar of immortality.'

1.3.175 'It is by that that you were not destroyed in that serpent abode. And Indra is also my friend.'

1.3.176 'By his grace you have returned having obtained the earrings. So, gentle one, you may go — I give you leave. You shall attain great good fortune.'

1.3.177 Given leave by his teacher, Uttaṅka, filled with anger and determined to retaliate against Takṣaka, set out for the city of Hāstinapura.

1.3.178 That foremost brahmin Uttaṅka, reaching Hāstinapura before long, came to meet King Janamejaya.

1.3.179 He saw him just returned from Takṣaśilā, undefeated, fully victorious, and attended on all sides by his ministers.

1.3.180 Having first offered him the customary blessings of victory, he addressed the king at the proper moment with words adorned with eloquent speech.

1.3.181 'While there is another duty to be done, O best of kings, you attend to something altogether different, as if out of childishness, O foremost of monarchs.'

1.3.182 Addressed thus by the brahmin, King Janamejaya replied, his mind serene, having duly honoured that sage.

1.3.183 'I protect my own warrior-dharma through the protection of these subjects. Or tell me, what is to be done, O lord among brahmins — today I am eager to hear your words.'

1.3.184 Addressed thus by that best of kings, the foremost brahmin, the most excellent among the meritorious, spoke to the king of undaunted spirit concerning the very duty that was the king's own.

1.3.185 'O lord among lords of men, retaliate against that serpent of evil soul, Takṣaka, by whom your father was slain.'

1.3.186 'And I consider this the proper time for the action enjoined by sacred ordinance. Therefore go, O king, and perform the act of vengeance for that great-souled father of yours.'

1.3.187 'For that king, though guiltless, was bitten by that one of wicked inner soul and passed away to the five elements, like a tree struck by a thunderbolt.'

1.3.188 Takṣaka, the vilest of serpents, swollen with the arrogance of power, acted wickedly — that sinful one who bit your father.

1.3.189 That evil-doer slew the king who was equal to the immortals and guardian of the royal-seer lineage, and also turned back Kaśyapa.

1.3.190 You should burn that sinner in the blazing fire of the oblation-carrier, O great king — for that very purpose is the serpent sacrifice ordained for you.

1.3.191 In this way you shall have fully avenged your father, O king, and you will have done something exceedingly dear to me.

1.3.192 O protector of the earth, great king, O sinless one — an obstacle was made to my task by that evil-souled one, while I was performing my duty toward my teacher.

1.3.193 Having heard this, the king became furious at Takṣaka — kindled by the oblation of Uttaṅka's words as fire is kindled by clarified butter.

1.3.194 Deeply grieved, the king then asked his ministers — even in the very presence of Uttaṅka — concerning his father's passage to heaven.

1.3.195 That lord of kings was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow at that very moment when he heard from Uttaṅka of his father's fate.

1.4.1 Ugraśravās, the son of Lomaharṣaṇa, a sūta skilled in the Purāṇas, attended upon the seers who had come together at the twelve-year sacrifice of the householder Śaunaka in the Naimiṣa forest.

1.4.2 That one well-versed in the Purāṇas, experienced in purāṇic lore, addressed them with joined palms: "What do you wish to hear? What shall I recite?"

1.4.3 The seers said: "O Lomaharṣaṇa, we shall ask you the highest matter, and you shall narrate to us who are eager to listen the connected narrative — but first, the venerable Śaunaka is presiding over the fire-sanctuary."

1.4.4 He knows the divine stories, the tales of gods and demons, the stories of men, serpents, and gandharvas — he knows them all in every detail.

1.4.5 And he, O sūta, is the learned head of the assembly, a brahmin, capable, firm in vows, wise, and a master in both the śāstra and the āraṇyaka.

1.4.6 He is a speaker of truth, devoted to tranquility, an ascetic, steadfast in his vows — he is deserving of reverence from all of us; let him be waited upon first.

1.4.7 When that teacher is seated on his most honored seat, then you shall narrate whatever that best of twice-born men asks of you.

1.4.8 The sūta said: "So be it — when that great-souled teacher is seated and has asked me, I shall narrate the sacred stories that touch upon various subjects."

1.4.9 That foremost brahmin then, having completed all his duties in proper order, having satisfied the gods with hymns and the ancestors with water, arrived there.

1.4.10 There the accomplished brahmin-seers were seated, firm in their vows, gathered at the sacrificial enclosure, with the sūta's son at their fore.

1.4.11 When the officiating priests and the assembly members had taken their seats, the householder Śaunaka seated himself and then spoke thus.

1.5.1 Śaunaka said: "My dear son, your father formerly studied the entire Purāṇa — have you too studied all of that, O Lomaharṣaṇa?"

1.5.2 "For in the Purāṇa are told divine stories and the primordial lineages of the wise — those were formerly heard by us from your father."

1.5.3 "Among those, I wish first to hear the lineage of Bhṛgu — narrate that story; we are fit and ready to hear from you."

1.5.4 The sūta said: "What was formerly studied thoroughly by the great-souled ones headed by the brahmin Vaiśaṃpāyana, and what was formerly narrated by them —

1.5.5 "What was studied by my father and in turn by me in full — hear first that lineage which is honored by the gods together with Indra, Agni, and the Marut hosts: the foremost lineage of the Bhṛgus, O delight of Bhṛgu."

1.5.6 "O brahmin, O great sage, I shall recite for you this lineage of Bhārgava accompanied by its narrative and grounded in purāṇic tradition."

1.5.7 The deeply beloved son of Bhṛgu was Cyavana of the Bhārgava line; Cyavana's heir was the righteous one named Pramati; and from Pramati was born a son in Ghṛtācī named Ruru.

1.5.8 From Ruru too was born a son who had crossed to the further shore of the Vedas — the righteous-souled Śunaka, born of Pramadvarā — your own great-grandfather.

1.5.9 He was an ascetic, illustrious, learned, the foremost knower of Brahman, most righteous, a speaker of truth, disciplined, with controlled senses.

1.5.10 Śaunaka said: "O son of the sūta, how the name 'Cyavana' became renowned for that great-souled Bhārgava — tell me that, as I ask."

1.5.11 The sūta said: "The dearly beloved wife of Bhṛgu was renowned as Pulomā; in her a child was conceived, born of Bhṛgu's seed."

1.5.12 "While that embryo was growing in Pulomā, O foremost of the Bhṛgu line — at that time, in the illustrious one's righteous wife who shared his disposition —"

1.5.13 "When Bhṛgu, the foremost of the upholders of dharma, had gone out to bathe, a rakṣasa came to his hermitage and approached Pulomā."

1.5.14 "Entering the hermitage and seeing the blameless wife of Bhṛgu, he was seized by desire and became bewildered, losing his senses."

1.5.15 "The beautiful-looking Pulomā then received that rakṣasa as a guest with forest offerings of fruits, roots, and the like."

1.5.16 "But that rakṣasa, O brahmin, tormented by desire upon seeing her, rejoiced there, wishing to abduct that blameless woman."

1.5.17 "Then he saw Jātavedas blazing in the fire-shrine; the rakṣasa then asked the blazing purifier Fire —"

1.5.18 "'Tell me, O Agni, whose wife is this? You have been truly asked — you are Truth itself; speak truth to me who asks, O purifier.'"

1.5.19 "'This fair-complexioned woman was first chosen by me for the purpose of marriage, yet afterward her father gave her to Bhṛgu, that doer of untruth.'"

1.5.20 "'If this fine-hipped woman is indeed Bhṛgu's wife who has come here alone, then tell me truly — I wish to take her away from this hermitage.'"

1.5.21 "'For rage burns as though scorching my heart today, since Bhṛgu took her — this slender-waisted one who was formerly my wife.'"

1.5.22 "Having thus addressed the blazing Jātavedas, the rakṣasa, uncertain about Bhṛgu's wife, asked again and again."

1.5.23 "'You, O Agni, dwell eternally within all beings as a witness to their virtuous and sinful deeds — speak truthfully, O wise one; utter words of truth.'"

1.5.24 "'If this is she — my former wife, taken by Bhṛgu that doer of untruth — then you ought to tell me truly.'"

1.5.25 "'Having heard from you that she is Bhṛgu's wife, I shall carry her away from this hermitage — O Jātavedas, even as you look on, speak my true words to me.'"

1.5.26 "Hearing those words of his, the seven-flamed Fire was deeply troubled, fearful both of falsehood and of Bhṛgu's curse, and spoke softly —"

1.6.1 The sūta said: "Then, O brahmin, having heard the words of Agni, that rakṣasa seized her, taking the form of a boar and swift as mind and wind."

1.6.2 "Then that child dwelling in the womb — O foremost of the Bhṛgu line — fell from his mother's womb in anger, and by that falling he became known as Cyavana."

1.6.3 "Seeing him, blazing with the radiance of the sun, fallen from his mother's womb, that rakṣasa was reduced to ashes and fell, releasing her."

1.6.4 "Taking him, the beautiful-hipped Pulomā — the delight of Bhṛgu — O brahmin, walked on with Cyavana of the Bhārgava line, faint with sorrow."

1.6.5 "Brahmā himself, the grandfather of all worlds, saw her — Bhṛgu's blameless wife weeping, her eyes filled with tears — and the venerable grandfather Brahmā comforted that daughter-in-law."

1.6.6 "From the drops of her tears a great river flowed forth, following the path of that illustrious wife of Bhṛgu as she walked."

1.6.7 "Seeing that river flowing along her path, the grandfather of the worlds then gave that river its name — calling it Vadhūsarā — as it flowed toward Cyavana's hermitage."

1.6.8 "In this way the mighty Cyavana was born as the son of Bhṛgu; the father saw Cyavana there, and also that illustrious woman."

1.6.9 "Then the enraged Bhṛgu asked his wife Pulomā: 'By whom were you here pointed out to that rakṣasa who wished to abduct you? For that rakṣasa did not know you, my fair-smiling wife.'"

1.6.10 "'Tell me that — for I wish today to curse him in my anger. Who does not fear my curse? Whose transgression is this?'"

1.6.11 "Pulomā said: 'It was by Agni, O venerable one, that I was disclosed to that rakṣasa; thereupon the rakṣasa carried me off even as I cried out like an osprey.'"

1.6.12 "'I was freed by the radiance of this your son; that rakṣasa, reduced to ashes, fell releasing me.'"

1.6.13 The sūta said: "Having heard this from Pulomā, Bhṛgu was seized with utmost fury and, thoroughly enraged, cursed Agni: 'You shall become the eater of all things!'"

1.7.1 The sūta said: "Cursed by Bhṛgu, the fire became angry and spoke: 'What rash deed have you done now, O brahmin?'"

1.7.2 "'For one striving in dharma, speaking truth impartially, when asked, I spoke truth — what transgression is mine in this?'"

1.7.3 "'For a witness who, when asked, knowingly gives false testimony destroys seven of his own ancestors as well as seven in the opposing family.'"

1.7.4 "'And one who knows the truth of a matter yet does not speak when knowing — he too is tainted by that very sin; of this there is no doubt.'"

1.7.5 "'I too am capable of cursing you, yet brahmins are to be honored by me — even though knowing, I shall explain clearly to you; understand this.'"

1.7.6 "'By my power, dividing myself manifold, I dwell in many forms — in the agnihotras, in the sattras, in the ritual acts, and in the sacrifices.'"

1.7.7 "'Whatever oblation is offered into me according to the ordinance prescribed by the Vedas — by that the gods and ancestors become satisfied.'"

1.7.8 "'Water constitutes all the hosts of gods; water likewise constitutes the hosts of ancestors; the new-moon and full-moon rites belong to gods together with ancestors.'"

1.7.9 "'Therefore the gods are the ancestors and the ancestors too are gods; they are worshipped as one and also separately at the sacred occasions.'"

1.7.10 "'Whatever the gods and ancestors constantly offer into me — thus I am known as the mouth of the thirty gods and of the ancestors.'"

1.7.11 "'On the new-moon day the ancestors, and on the full-moon day the gods, are invoked through my mouth alone and consume the offered oblation — how then shall I become the all-devourer and yet remain their mouth?'"

1.7.12 "Having reflected thus, Fire then withdrew himself from the agnihotras of the twice-born, from the sacrifices and from the satra rites."

1.7.13 "Without the oṃkāra and the vaṣaṭkāra, bereft of the svadhā and svāhā — without Agni, all creatures were then in deep distress."

1.7.14 "Then the seers, greatly agitated, went to the gods and spoke: 'O sinless ones, because of Agni's disappearance and the breakdown of rites, the three worlds are thrown into confusion — ordain what must be done here so that no time may pass in vain.'"

1.7.15 "Then the seers and the gods, approaching Brahmā, reported to him the curse upon Agni and the withdrawal of the ritual acts."

1.7.16 "'O greatly fortunate one, Agni has been cursed by Bhṛgu for another reason — how can he, who has become the mouth of the gods, the first receiver of the share of sacrifice, the consumer of oblations in all the worlds, now become the all-devourer?'"

1.7.17 "Hearing those words of theirs, the creator of the worlds summoned Agni and spoke a gentle word to him, the eternal nurturer of all beings."

1.7.18 "'You are here the maker and the very end of all the worlds; you uphold the three worlds and you set the ritual acts in motion — O lord of the world, act in such a way that the rites may not be cut off.'"

1.7.19 "'Why have you become so confused, O consumer of oblations, when you are the lord? You are the purifier in the world and you pervade all beings.'"

1.7.20 "'You shall not become the all-devourer with your whole body, O blazing one — those flames of yours that take up fuel shall burn everything.'"

1.7.21 "'Just as everything touched by the rays of the sun is perceived as pure, so everything burnt by your flames shall become pure.'"

1.7.22 "'Therefore, O Agni, you are the great radiance that has issued forth from its own nature — by your own splendor fulfill the sage's curse as truth, O mighty one, and receive into your mouth the oblation that is the share of the gods and of yourself.'"

1.7.23 "So be it," replied Fire to the grandsire Brahmā, and went forth to carry out the command of the supreme lord.

1.7.24 The divine sages departed joyfully as they had come, and the rishis resumed all their rites as before.

1.7.25 The gods in heaven rejoiced, as did all the assemblies of living beings on earth, and Fire, his taint removed, attained the highest delight.

1.7.26 Such is this ancient tale born of Fire's curse — the destruction of Pulomā and the birth of Cyavana.

1.8.1 The Sūta said: That Cyavana of Bhṛgu's line, O brahmin, begot upon Sukanyā a son, the great-souled Pramati of blazing energy.

1.8.2 Pramati begot upon Ghṛtācī a son named Ruru; and Ruru begot upon Pramadvara a son named Śunaka.

1.8.3 Of that Ruru of great splendor, O brahmin, I shall recount the entire story in full — hear it without omission.

1.8.4 There was in former times a great rishi endowed with austerity and knowledge, known by the name Sthūlakeśa, devoted to the welfare of all beings.

1.8.5 In that very time, O brahmin-rishi, the king of the gandharvas known as Viśvāvasu had fathered a child upon Menakā.

1.8.6 Then the apsara Menakā, O son of Bhṛgu's line, abandoned that embryo in due time near the hermitage of Sthūlakeśa.

1.8.7 Having abandoned the embryo on the riverbank, she departed; the infant girl shone with the beauty of a celestial child, blazing as it were with radiant glory.

1.8.8 The great rishi Sthūlakeśa, that splendid one, saw her abandoned on the riverbank, alone, bereft of kin.

1.8.9 Seeing that girl, Sthūlakeśa, best of twice-born men, that foremost sage, filled with compassion, took her in and nurtured her; and she of lovely form grew up beautifully in his hermitage.

1.8.10 She was the most excellent among women, endowed with beauty and virtue in every way; and so the great rishi gave her the name Pramadvara.

1.8.11 Ruru, the righteous-souled one, on seeing Pramadvara at that hermitage, found his heart overtaken by the god of love.

1.8.12 Then that scion of Bhṛgu's line had his friends convey his wish to his father, and Pramati, having heard, went himself to the illustrious Sthūlakeśa.

1.8.13 Then the father gave that maiden Pramadvara to Ruru, having first fixed the wedding for the auspicious asterism presided over by Bhaga.

1.8.14 Then, a few days before the wedding arrived, that fair-complexioned maiden was playing with her companions,

1.8.15 when she did not notice a serpent lying asleep stretched across her path; she stepped upon it, driven by fate toward death.

1.8.16 The serpent, urged on by the law of time, drove its venom-smeared fangs deep into her body while she was careless.

1.8.17 Bitten, she instantly fell to the ground, her senses gone, her life departed — yet even lifeless her form was supremely beautiful to behold.

1.8.18 She lay upon the earth as if asleep, tormented by the serpent's venom; the slender-waisted one became even more heart-ravishing than before.

1.8.19 Her father and the other ascetics saw her fallen on the ground, her lotus-radiant form convulsed.

1.8.20 Then all the best of twice-born men gathered filled with compassion — Svastyatreya, Mahajanu, Kuśika, Shankhamekhala,

1.8.21 Bharadvaja, Kaunakutsa, Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, Gautama, Pramati with his son, and other forest-dwellers as well.

1.8.22 Seeing that maiden lifeless, afflicted by the serpent's poison, they wept, overcome with compassion; but Ruru, stricken with grief, went away into the forest.

1.9.1 The Sūta said: While the brahmins sat there on all sides, Ruru went into the dense forest and wept aloud, overcome with great sorrow.

1.9.2 Struck down by grief, lamenting piteously and at length, he spoke these words in sorrow, thinking of his beloved Pramadvara:

1.9.3 "She, the slender-limbed one who multiplies my grief, lies upon the earth — what sorrow greater than this could there be for all her kinsmen?

1.9.4 If I have performed austerities, if I have duly honored my teachers — by that merit let my beloved come back to life.

1.9.5 As I have been self-restrained and steadfast in my vows from birth, so let the fiery Pramadvara rise up this very day."

1.9.6 A divine messenger said: "Ruru, what you speak in your grief is in vain — there is no life remaining for one whose life has departed, O righteous one.

1.9.7 This pitiable one, daughter of a gandharva and an apsara, has exhausted her lifespan. Therefore, dear son, do not in any way set your mind on grief.

1.9.8 Yet a means was ordained here long ago by the great-souled gods; if you wish to perform it, you shall recover this Pramadvara."

1.9.9 Ruru said: "What means did the gods ordain? Tell me truly, O sky-traveler. Having heard it I will perform it accordingly — you must save me."

1.9.10 The divine messenger said: "Give half of your remaining lifespan to the maiden, O son of Bhṛgu's line — then your wife Pramadvara will rise, O Ruru."

1.9.11 Ruru said: "I give half my lifespan to the maiden, O best of sky-travelers. Let my beloved, adorned with the ornaments of love's beauty, rise up."

1.9.12 The Sūta said: Then both the king of the gandharvas and the divine messenger, those most excellent ones, went to Dharmarāja and spoke these words:

1.9.13 "Let the auspicious Pramadvara, wife of Ruru, rise up in exchange for half of Ruru's lifespan — if you see fit, O Dharmarāja, even though she is dead."

1.9.14 Dharmarāja said: "O divine messenger, if you wish it, let Pramadvara, Ruru's wife, rise up endowed with half of Ruru's own lifespan."

1.9.15 The Sūta said: When this was spoken, then the maiden Pramadvara rose up, endowed with half of Ruru's lifespan, as if waking from sleep, that fair-complexioned one.

1.9.16 "This has been witnessed: for Ruru of supreme splendor, whose lifespan is greatly extended, let it be diminished by half for the sake of his wife" — so it was decreed.

1.9.17 Then on an auspicious day their two fathers joyfully performed the wedding, and those two who wished each other's good rejoiced together.

1.9.18 Having obtained his priceless wife who shone like lotus filaments, he of firm resolve made a vow to destroy all serpents.

1.9.19 He, filled with fierce rage, whenever he saw any serpent, would always seize a weapon and strike it down, however near it was.

1.9.20 One day the brahmin Ruru came to a great forest, and there he saw an aged dundubha serpent lying asleep.

1.9.21 Then the brahmin, filled with rage, raised his staff resembling the staff of death and struck at it; but the dundubha spoke:

1.9.22 "I have done you no wrong at all today, O ascetic. Why then do you attack me in this rage, filled with fury?"

1.10.1 Ruru said: "My wife, who is as dear to me as my own life, was bitten by a serpent; and because of that I have made a terrible vow regarding serpents:

1.10.2 "I will always slay whatever serpent I see." Therefore I intend to kill you — save yourself with your life if you can.

1.10.3 The dundubha said: "O brahmin, those serpents that bite men are different — the dundubhas merely bear the smell of snakes; you ought not to harm them.

1.10.4 Sharing the same calamities but with separate purposes, sharing the same sorrows but with separate joys — you who know dharma ought not to harm the dundubhas."

1.10.5 The Sūta said: Having heard the serpent's words, Ruru then did not kill it, startled and apprehensive, taking the dundubha for a rishi.

1.10.6 Then the blessed Ruru spoke to it as if to pacify it gently: "O serpent, tell me — who are you, come to this changed form?"

1.10.7 The dundubha said: "I was formerly a rishi named Sahasrapāt, O Ruru; and by the curse of a brahmin I have attained the state of a serpent."

1.10.8 Ruru said: "Why did the angry brahmin curse you, O best of serpents? And for how long will you bear this form?"

1.11.1 The dundubha said: "I had a friend in former times, a brahmin named Khagama, O dear one, of very sharp tongue, endowed with the power of austerity.

1.11.2 While we were playing in childhood, I fashioned a grass snake and, while he was absorbed in his agnihotra rite, I frightened him so that he fainted.

1.11.3 Regaining his senses, that one rich in austerity spoke to me, as if burning with rage, he of true speech and firm vows:

1.11.4 "Just as you made this snake — however powerless — to frighten me, so by my wrath shall you become a powerless serpent."

1.11.5 Knowing the power of his austerity, O one rich in austerity, with heart greatly distressed, I spoke to that forest-dweller:

1.11.6 "Purified in body, trembling, with joined palms, standing bowed low — O friend, this was done by me only for a joke, in jest.

1.11.7 "O brahmin, you must forgive me — let this curse be revoked." But he, seeing my heart greatly distressed, spoke to me:

1.11.8 Sighing hotly again and again, greatly agitated, that one rich in austerity said: "What I have spoken cannot be untrue — this will come to pass, somehow.

1.11.9 "But the words I shall now speak to you — hear them, O man of firm vows; and having heard, let these words abide in your heart, O one rich in austerity.

1.11.10 "There will be born a pure son of Pramati named Ruru; upon seeing him your release from the curse will come before long."

1.11.11 "You are that one known as Ruru, the pure son of Pramati. Now I shall recover my own form, and I will speak what is beneficial for you.

1.11.12 Non-violence is declared the highest dharma for all living beings; therefore a brahmin must never harm any living creature anywhere.

1.11.13 The supreme scripture declares, 'The brahmin is born here as the gentle one' — knowing the Vedas and their auxiliaries, dear one, he grants fearlessness to all beings.

1.11.14 Non-violence, truthful speech, and forbearance — these are determined to be the supreme dharma of the brahmin, even above the preservation of the Vedas.

1.11.15 But the dharma of the kshatriya does not apply to you here — the bearing of the rod, fierce valor, and the protection of subjects.

1.11.16 That was a kshatriya's deed — hear from me, O Ruru, O righteous soul: the slaying of serpents long ago at Janamejaya's snake sacrifice.

1.11.17 And the deliverance of the terrified serpents at that snake sacrifice — by a brahmin endowed with the power of austerity and strength, master of the Vedas and their auxiliaries: Āstīka, foremost of twice-born men, O best of brahmins."

1.12.1 Ruru said: "How did the kshatriya Janamejaya harm the serpents? And why were the serpents harmed, dear one, O best of brahmins?"

1.12.2 "And why were the serpents saved by Āstīka? Tell me of him — I wish to hear all of it completely."

1.12.3 The rishi said: "You will hear, O Ruru, the entire great story of Āstīka from the brahmins who will recount it" — and having said this, he vanished.

1.12.4 The Sūta said: Ruru also ran through the entire forest in all directions seeking to see that rishi, then exhausted, fell to the ground.

1.12.5 Ruru regained his senses and came back; he reported all this to his father then, and when asked, his father recounted the entire story.

1.13.1 Śaunaka said: "For what reason did that tiger among kings, King Janamejaya, bring the serpents to their end with the snake sacrifice? Tell me of that.

1.13.2 "And why did Āstīka, best of twice-born men, foremost among those who recite prayers, rescue the serpents from that blazing sacrificial fire?"

1.13.3 Whose son was that king who performed the serpent sacrifice? And that foremost of the twice-born — whose son was he? Tell me this.

1.13.4 The Sūta said: The great legend called Āstīka, in which all this is proclaimed — O brahmin, best among speakers, hear it all from me without remainder.

1.13.5 Śaunaka said: I wish to hear in full this delightful tale of Āstīka, that ancient brahmin of glorious renown.

1.13.6 The Sūta said: The elders who dwell in the Naimiṣa forest recount this as an ancient tale of sacred history, spoken by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.

1.13.7 Formerly, urged on by the brahmins, my father Lomaharṣaṇa the Sūta, that wise disciple of Vyāsa, narrated this very tale.

1.13.8 Having heard it from him, I shall now tell this Āstīka legend to you exactly as it is, O Śaunaka who inquires of me.

1.13.9 The father of Āstīka was a lord equal to Prajāpati himself — a celibate student, restrained in food, ever devoted to fierce austerity.

1.13.10 Known as Jaratkāru, he was a great seer of upward-flowing seed, foremost among the Yāyāvaras who knew the law, firm in his vow.

1.13.11 Wandering once, he saw his own forefathers hanging in a great pit, their feet pointing upward and their faces downward.

1.13.12 Upon seeing them, Jaratkāru spoke to those forefathers: "Who are you who hang here in this pit, faces downward?"

1.13.13 Clinging to a clump of vīraṇa grass gnawed away on all sides by a hidden mouse that dwells perpetually in this pit.

1.13.14 The forefathers said: We are sages of the Yāyāvara lineage, firm in our vows. O brahmin, due to the extinction of our line we are sinking into the earth.

1.13.15 Our single descendant is known as Jaratkāru — the most ill-fated among the ill-fated; he has taken refuge only in asceticism.

1.13.16 That fool does not wish to take a wife or beget sons. Because of this extinction of lineage we hang here in the pit.

1.13.17 Bereft of that protector, we are like sinners without a refuge. Who are you, good sir, who grieves for us as though a kinsman?

1.13.18 We wish to know, O brahmin — who are you who stands here? And why do you take pity on us who are so pitiable?

1.13.19 Jaratkāru said: You are truly my forefathers, my fathers and their fathers before them. Tell me — what shall I do? I am Jaratkāru himself.

1.13.20 The forefathers said: Strive diligently, dear son, for the continuation of our lineage — for your own sake, for our sake, and for the sake of dharma, O dear one.

1.13.21 For neither through the fruits of dharma, dear son, nor through austerities well accumulated do men attain here the state that those with sons attain.

1.13.22 Therefore, dear son, by our command, direct your effort toward taking a wife and continuing the line — this is our highest good.

1.13.23 Jaratkāru said: I had ever resolved never to take a wife; yet for your benefit I shall take one as a wife.

1.13.24 But I shall do so only on this condition and in accordance with the proper rite: only if I find one who is offered to me — I shall not do otherwise.

1.13.25 She who shall be my wife must bear the same name as I, must be freely given by her kinsmen; I shall accept that maiden as alms, according to the ordained rule.

1.13.26 For who would give a wife to one as poor as I? Yet I shall accept her as alms if someone offers her.

1.13.27 Thus for the purpose of taking a wife I shall strive, O forefathers, by this rule alone — I shall never act otherwise.

1.13.28 And a being shall be born of her for your deliverance. May my forefathers attain the eternal abode and rejoice.

1.13.29 The Sūta said: Thereupon that brahmin of firm vow roamed the earth in search of a wife for his dwelling, but found none.

1.13.30 Once, going into a forest and remembering the words of his forefathers, seeking a maiden as alms, he called out softly three times.

1.13.31 Vāsuki came forward and offered his sister to him. But he did not accept her, thinking she did not bear his name.

1.13.32 For the mind of that great-souled Jaratkāru was fixed on this: he would take only a bride who shared his name when she was offered.

1.13.33 Then the greatly wise Jaratkāru of mighty austerity spoke to him: "What is the name of this sister of yours? Tell me truly, O serpent."

1.13.34 Vāsuki said: O Jaratkāru, this is Jaratkāru, my younger sister. She has been kept all along for your sake — accept her, best of the twice-born.

1.13.35 The Sūta said: For the serpents had been cursed of old by their mother, O best of those who know brahman — "At the sacrifice of Janamejaya, fire with the wind as its charioteer shall burn you."

1.13.36 For the pacification of that curse, the foremost of serpents gave his sister to that ascetic sage of excellent vow.

1.13.37 He accepted her according to the rite prescribed by tradition, and from her was born a son of that great-souled one, named Āstīka.

1.13.38 He was an ascetic and a great soul, versed in the Vedas and their limbs, equal-minded toward all beings, and a remover of the fears of both his father's and mother's kin.

1.13.39 Then, after a great span of time, the Pāṇḍava king, lord of men, performed the great sacrifice known as the serpent sacrifice — so the tradition declares.

1.13.40 While that sacrifice was in progress — designed as the destruction of the serpents — Āstīka of great renown released them from that curse.

1.13.41 He delivered the serpents who were his maternal uncles and other kinsmen; he also delivered his paternal ancestors through his lineage, austerities, various vows, and sacred study, O brahmin, and thus became free from debt.

1.13.42 He satisfied the gods with sacrifices and abundant fees, the seers with celibacy, and the forefathers with the continuation of the lineage.

1.13.43 Having removed the heavy burden from his forefathers, Jaratkāru of firm vow went to heaven together with his own ancestors.

1.13.44 Having obtained a son in Āstīka and having practiced the highest dharma, the sage Jaratkāru ascended to heaven after a very long time.

1.13.45 This Āstīka legend has been recounted by me exactly as it occurred. O tiger among Bhṛgus, tell me — what more shall be narrated?

1.14.1 Śaunaka said: O Sauti, tell that tale again in detail. Our desire to hear the story of Āstīka, that wise and virtuous man, is very great.

1.14.2 You tell it sweetly, dear one, with smooth syllables and words; we are greatly pleased. Dear child, you speak just as your father did.

1.14.3 Your father was ever devoted to serving us and told this tale just as it should be told — tell it as he did.

1.14.4 The Sūta said: This life-bestowing Āstīka legend I now tell you exactly as I heard it from my father while he narrated it.

1.14.5 In ancient times, O brahmin, in the age of the gods, two daughters of Prajāpati lived — sisters endowed with wondrous, matchless beauty, sinless.

1.14.6 They were the wives of Kaśyapa — Kadrū and Vinatā. Their husband Kaśyapa, equal to Prajāpati, pleased, filled with the highest joy, granted a boon to those two lawful wives.

1.14.7 Hearing the supremely generous bestowal of boons from Kaśyapa, those two excellent women experienced incomparable delight born of joy.

1.14.8 Kadrū chose a thousand serpent sons of equal power; Vinatā chose two sons who would surpass Kadrū's sons in strength, vital force, radiance, and valor.

1.14.9 Her husband granted her the boon she desired — a son and a half as much again. "So be it," said Vinatā to Kaśyapa then.

1.14.10 Having obtained two sons surpassing in might, Vinatā was fulfilled; and Kadrū, having obtained a thousand sons of equal power —

1.14.11 "Bear the embryos with care" — so said that great ascetic; then Kaśyapa, with his two wives elated by the boons, entered the forest.

1.14.12 After a great length of time, Kadrū laid a hundred clusters of ten eggs; and Vinatā laid two eggs, O chief of brahmins.

1.14.13 Their delighted attendants placed the eggs in warm vessels and kept them there for five hundred years.

1.14.14 Then, when five hundred years had passed, Kadrū's sons emerged; but from Vinatā's two eggs no pair of offspring appeared.

1.14.15 Then that austerity-practicing goddess, longing for a son and ashamed, broke open one egg; and there she saw a son.

1.14.16 His upper body was fully formed but the other half was not manifest. That son, filled with anger, cursed her — so the tradition says.

1.14.17 "Because you have done this to me, mother, driven by greed, leaving my body incomplete — therefore you shall become a slave."

1.14.18 "For five hundred years you shall serve her with whom you now rival; and this other son of yours, O mother, shall free you from servitude."

1.14.19 "If you do not, O mother, crack open his egg as you did mine, leaving him bodiless or crippled, that ascetic —"

1.14.20 "— then you must patiently await his time of birth, you who desire surpassing power, which comes only after five hundred years more."

1.14.21 Having thus cursed his mother, that son ascended into the sky; he is seen as Aruṇa, O brahmin, at the break of dawn each day.

1.14.22 And Garuḍa too, the destroyer of serpents, was born when his time had come; as soon as he was born he left Vinatā and soared into the sky.

1.14.23 He flew off to take for himself the food ordained for him by the Creator, O tiger among Bhṛgus, for he was hungry and longing to eat.

1.15.1 The Sūta said: At this very time, O you rich in austerity, those two sisters saw Uccaiḥśravas approaching from nearby.

1.15.2 Him all the hosts of gods joyously honored — born when the nectar was being churned, the peerless jewel among horses.

1.15.3 Of surpassing strength among horses, best of the swift, filled with beauty, undecaying, divine, marked with every auspicious sign.

1.15.4 Śaunaka said: How did the gods churn that nectar, and where? Tell me the place where that horse-king of great might and great radiance was born.

1.15.5 The Sūta said: Mount Meru, blazing and unshakeable, that matchless mass of splendor, outshining the sun's own radiance with its gold-gleaming peaks —

1.15.6 — adorned with golden ornaments, wondrous, attended by gods and gandharvas, immeasurable, unapproachable by those burdened with unrighteousness —

1.15.7 — roamed by terrible wild beasts, ablaze with divine herbs, that great mountain standing and filling the vault of heaven with its height —

1.15.8 — inaccessible even in thought to others, adorned with rivers and trees, resonant with flocks of many birds, exceedingly beautiful —

1.15.9 — Climbing its auspicious summit studded with many gems, vast and boundless, all the mighty gods —

1.15.10 — those dwellers in heaven, seated there, began to deliberate, assembled for the purpose of obtaining nectar, established in austerity and restraint.

1.15.11 While the gods were thus deliberating and consulting together on all sides, the divine Nārāyaṇa spoke these words to Brahmā:

1.15.12 "Let the ocean, the vessel of waters, be churned by gods together with the hosts of asuras; when the great ocean is churned, nectar shall arise from it."

1.15.13 "Cast all the herbs and all the jewels into it and churn the ocean, O gods — then you shall obtain the nectar from it."

1.16.1 The Sūta said: Then Mount Mandara, that foremost of mountains, adorned with peaks shaped like cloud-tops, wrapped in nets of creepers —

1.16.2 It resounded with many kinds of birds, and was filled with many fanged creatures; it was frequented by kinneras and apsarases and even by the gods.

1.16.3 It rose eleven thousand yojanas above the earth, and was planted just as deep — by the same number of thousands — below the ground.

1.16.4 All the hosts of gods were unable to uproot it; so they approached Viṣṇu where he sat, and together with Brahmā they spoke as follows.

1.16.5 "Let the two of you apply your highest wisdom to this matter; let effort be made to uproot Mandara for our benefit."

1.16.6 "So be it," said Viṣṇu together with Brahmā, O descendant of Bhṛgu. Then mighty Ananta, roused by Brahmā and urged also by Nārāyaṇa, arose to the task.

1.16.7 Then great-armed Ananta, immensely powerful, forcibly uprooted that king of mountains, O Brahmin, together with its forests and all the creatures dwelling in them.

1.16.8 Then the gods, together with him, approached the ocean and said to it: "For the sake of the nectar of immortality, we shall churn your waters."

1.16.9 The lord of the waters then spoke: "Then let a share fall to me as well; for I shall endure the great churning pressure from the rotation of Mandara."

1.16.10 The gods and asuras also addressed Akūpāra, the king of tortoises: "You ought to serve as the support for this mountain."

1.16.11 The tortoise agreed, saying "So be it," and offered his back as its foundation; and Indra pressed down the summit of that mountain with a device to hold it firm.

1.16.12 Making Mandara the churning-rod and Vāsuki the rope, the gods — together with the daityas and dānavas — then began, O Brahmin, to churn the ocean, that treasure-house of waters, all intent upon the nectar of immortality.

1.16.13 The great asuras clung to one end of the serpent-king, while all the gods together took their position at the tail end.

1.16.14 The divine Lord Ananta stood where Nārāyaṇa stood; he repeatedly lifted the head of the great serpent and hurled it down again.

1.16.15 As the serpent Vāsuki was repeatedly pulled back and forth by the gods, smoke-laden winds with tongues of flame poured again and again from his mouth.

1.16.16 Those billowing masses of smoke became cloud-banks flashing with lightning, and they rained down upon the hosts of gods who were worn thin by exertion and scorching heat.

1.16.17 And showers of flowers falling from the rocky peak scattered garlands over the hosts of gods and asuras on all sides.

1.16.18 A tremendous roar arose there, like the sound of great thunder-clouds, as the ocean was churned with Mandara by the gods and asuras.

1.16.19 There, in the salt waters, hundreds of aquatic creatures of every kind, crushed by the great mountain, met their dissolution.

1.16.20 The mountain also brought about the destruction of various beings of Varuṇa's realm, of many kinds, dwelling in the depths of the underworld.

1.16.21 As the mountain spun around, great trees with birds perched on them crashed against one another and fell from the mountain's peaks.

1.16.22 Fire born from their friction blazed repeatedly with its tongues of flame and covered Mount Mandara, as lightning covers a dark cloud.

1.16.23 It burned elephants and lions fleeing from it, and all manner of creatures of every kind lost their lives.

1.16.24 Indra, the foremost of the immortals, then quenched that blazing fire on all sides with water drawn from rain-clouds.

1.16.25 Then many kinds of sap flowed into the ocean's waters — resins from the great trees and the juices of many medicinal plants.

1.16.26 Through those life-giving juices, through the milk of the ocean, and through the flowing of gold, the gods attained immortality.

1.16.27 Then the water of that ocean became like milk, mixed with the finest of juices; and from that milk ghee was produced.

1.16.28 Then the gods spoke to Brahmā, who sat as the boon-granter: "We are utterly exhausted, O Brahmin, and still the nectar has not appeared."

1.16.29 "Without the god Nārāyaṇa — the daityas, the great serpents, and we ourselves alike — and this churning of the ocean, long begun, has gone on without result."

1.16.30 Then Brahmā spoke a word to the divine Nārāyaṇa: "Bestow strength upon all these, O Viṣṇu; you are the refuge here."

1.16.31 Viṣṇu said: "I give strength to all who are engaged in this task. Let the vessel be agitated by all; let Mandara be made to revolve."

1.16.32 The Sūta said: Hearing the words of Nārāyaṇa, those powerful ones together churned the milk of the great ocean once more, vigorously.

1.16.33 Then the Moon, lord of a hundred thousand rays, arose from the ocean like a second sun — radiant and serene, with its cool beams blazing bright.

1.16.34 Next arose Śrī, clad in white garments, born from the ghee; then arose Surā, the goddess of wine; and likewise a white horse.

1.16.35 The divine Kaustubha gem arose as well, born of the amṛta, its rays blazing brilliantly; it was glorious, and came to rest upon the breast of Nārāyaṇa.

1.16.36 Śrī, Surā, Soma, and the horse swift as thought — all went where the gods went, taking the path of the sun.

1.16.37 Then the god Dhanvantari, possessed of a beautiful form, arose, bearing the white kamaṇḍalu vessel in which the nectar of immortality resided.

1.16.38 On seeing this utterly wondrous thing, a great clamour arose among the dānavas, all crying out: "It is mine! It is mine!"

1.16.39 Then the Lord Nārāyaṇa assumed the enchanting illusion of Mohinī, taking on a wondrous female form, and approached the dānavas.

1.16.40 Then all the dānavas and daityas, their minds deluded, their thoughts fixed entirely upon her, gave the nectar to that woman.

1.17.1 The Sūta said: Then the daityas and dānavas, taking up various coverings and weapons of every kind, rushed together against the gods.

1.17.2 Then the mighty god Viṣṇu, that powerful lord, together with Nara, took the nectar and carried it away from the lords of the dānavas.

1.17.3 Then all the hosts of gods, having received it from Viṣṇu, drank that nectar amid the tumultuous uproar and confusion.

1.17.4 Then, at the very moment the gods were drinking the coveted nectar, the dānava Rāhu, having assumed the guise of a god, drank some of it.

1.17.5 The moment the nectar reached the throat of that dānava, it was reported by the Moon and the Sun, who desired the welfare of the gods.

1.17.6 Then the Blessed Lord, with his cakra-weapon, the adorned discus, swiftly severed the head of the dānava as he was drinking the nectar.

1.17.7 That great head of the dānava, like a mountain peak, severed by the discus, fell to the earth and made it tremble.

1.17.8 From that time Rāhu, that disembodied head, formed an eternal enmity; to this very day he swallows the Moon and the Sun.

1.17.9 And the Blessed Lord Hari, abandoning that incomparable female form, shook the dānavas with many fearsome weapons.

1.17.10 Then a great and utterly terrible battle broke out near the salt ocean between the gods and the asuras.

1.17.11 Long sharp javelins fell in thousands; spears with very sharp points, and weapons of every kind fell upon them.

1.17.12 Then asuras, cleaved by the discus, vomiting much blood, struck down by swords, spears, and maces, fell to the ground.

1.17.13 And in that terrible battle, heads severed by broad-bladed weapons, covered in nets of heated gold, fell again and again.

1.17.14 Great asuras, their limbs smeared with blood, slain, lay like the red-ore peaks of mountains.

1.17.15 Cries of lamentation arose by the thousands in every direction as they cut each other down with weapons while the sun turned blood-red.

1.17.16 The noise of those striking one another in battle with iron clubs of tawny hue and with fists in close combat seemed to touch the sky.

1.17.17 "Cut! Pierce! Rush forward! Strike down! Charge!" — such terrifyingly fierce cries were heard on all sides.

1.17.18 While this dreadful and tumultuous battle raged, the divine pair Nara and Nārāyaṇa entered the fray.

1.17.19 There, beholding Nara's divine bow, the Blessed Lord Viṣṇu also recalled to mind his discus, the destroyer of dānavas.

1.17.20 Then, the instant it was thought of, it came from the sky — the supremely radiant discus, scorcher of enemies, equal in brilliance to the sun, with its unblunted rim, the Sudarśana, fearsome, unconquerable, supreme.

1.17.21 When it arrived, blazing with the radiance of kindled fire and striking terror, the unfailing Acyuta, whose arms are like an elephant's trunk, released it — swift and fiercely fast, supremely brilliant, destroyer of enemy citadels.

1.17.22 Equal in brilliance to the fire of death, it flew back and again swiftly as it was hurled, rending the sons of Diti and Danu by the thousands, driven by the hand of that supreme being in battle.

1.17.23 Burning in one place, it licked like a flame; it violently cut down those hosts of asuras; sent spinning again and again through the sky and the earth, it drank blood in battle like a piśāca demon.

1.17.24 Then the asuras, undaunted in spirit and immensely powerful, with radiance like dispersing clouds, seized mountains and tormented the host of gods again and again, rising by the thousands into the sky.

1.17.25 Then from the sky there fell terror-inspiring great mountains with their trees, taking the form of many kinds of clouds, their topmost peaks crumbling away; they crashed swiftly against one another and roared.

1.17.26 Then the earth with all its forests shook violently, struck on all sides by the fall of great mountains, as the two sides roared fiercely at each other again and again on that great and fiercely raging battlefield.

1.17.27 Then Nara, with his mighty arrows tipped with fine gold, covered the sky's path and split the mountain peaks with feathered shafts, during that great and terrible battle with the host of asuras.

1.17.28 Then the great asuras, tormented by the gods and seeing the Sudarśana blazing with the radiance of kindled fire and enraged as it coursed through the sky, plunged into the earth and into the salt-water ocean.

1.17.29 Then, with victory won by the gods, Mandara, duly honoured, was returned to its own place; it resounded through the sky and the heavens on all sides; and thereafter the clouds went their way as before.

1.17.30 Then the gods, filled with supreme and complete joy, placed the nectar in safe keeping; and Indra, slayer of Bala, together with the immortals, gave over that treasure of nectar to the Crowned One to guard.

1.18.1 The Sūta said: All this has been told to you — how the nectar was churned forth — and it is in this account that the glorious horse of incomparable power was born.

1.18.2 On seeing that horse, Kadrū then said to Vinatā: "What colour is Uccaiḥśravas, dear friend? Tell me without delay."

1.18.3 Vinatā said: "This king of horses is purely white. What do you think, O auspicious one? Tell me your view of his colour, and then let us make a wager on it."

1.18.4 Kadrū said: "I believe this horse has a black tail, O bright-toothed one. Come, let us wager together on servitude, O passionate one."

1.18.5 The Sūta said: Having thus made a compact with each other for servitude, the two went to their own homes, saying: "We shall look tomorrow."

1.18.6 Then Kadrū, wishing to play a trick, commanded her thousand sons to become hairs as black as collyrium and cling to the horse's tail.

1.18.7 "Enter the horse quickly so that I shall not become a slave." Those serpents did not comply with that command, and she cursed them.

1.18.8 "When the serpent sacrifice is being performed, fire shall consume you — at the sacrifice of Janamejaya, that wise royal sage, descendant of the Pāṇḍavas."

1.18.9 The Grandfather himself heard this curse, so exceedingly cruel as it was pronounced by Kadrū — heard it truly as if by fate.

1.18.10 Together with all the hosts of gods, he approved that pronouncement, seeing the great multitude of serpents and desiring the welfare of all living beings.

1.18.11 For these biting serpents are possessed of fierce and potent venom and are of great power; on account of their sharp-venom nature, and truly for the welfare of living beings, he bestowed the science of snake-charming upon the great-souled Kāśyapa.

1.19.1 Sūta said: Then, when the night had passed and dawn had broken with the sun rising, Kadrū and Vinatā, those two sisters, O sage of great austerities,

1.19.2 both furious and deeply agitated, having made their wager with slavery as the stake, went together to see the horse Uccaiḥśravas up close.

1.19.3 There they beheld the ocean, that treasury of waters, teeming with timiṅgila fish and other great fish, and thronged with makaras.

1.19.4 It was filled with thousands upon thousands of creatures of many forms, fierce and ever unapproachable, swarming with tortoises and crocodiles.

1.19.5 It was the mine of all jewels, the abode of Varuṇa, the beautiful and supreme dwelling place of the nāgas, the lord of rivers.

1.19.6 It was the home of the fires of Pātāla, the prison of the asuras, terrifying to all beings — that ocean, the boundless reservoir of waters.

1.19.7 Auspicious and divine, the supreme source of nectar for the immortals, immeasurable and inconceivable, its waters were most holy and wondrous.

1.19.8 Terrible, with the fierce roar of its aquatic creatures, resounding with dreadful noise, its depths filled with swirling eddies, it struck terror into all beings.

1.19.9 Stirred by the wind that swings along the shore, agitated by turbulence and surging waves, with its billowing wave-hands it seemed to dance on every side.

1.19.10 Its towering waves surging with the waxing and waning of the moon made it unapproachable; it was the birthplace of Pāñcajanya, the incomparable mine of gems.

1.19.11 Its waters had been churned and muddied within when the blessed Govinda of boundless might, assuming the form of a great boar, had recovered the earth.

1.19.12 And the brahmarṣi Atri, performing austerities for a hundred years within it, had not touched its unfathomable bottom — imperishable Pātāla lay below.

1.19.13 There too was the repose of Padmanābha, Viṣṇu of boundless radiance, who at the dawn of each cosmic age sleeps the yogic slumber of deep spiritual absorption.

1.19.14 The water was the auspicious oblation-offering to the submarine fire blazing at the Vaḍavāmukha; the lord of rivers was fathomless in depth, vast in expanse, and beyond measure.

1.19.15 They beheld that great ocean, approached unceasingly by thousands upon thousands of mighty rivers as if each were vying with the others.

1.19.16 They saw that ocean, deep, filled with fierce timi fish and makaras, roaring with the terrible cries of its water creatures, vast and bright as the sky, fathomless — the great, boundless treasury of waters.

1.19.17 Thus beholding that ocean crowded with fish, makaras, and waves, deep and expansive and luminous as the sky, lit by the tongues of the submarine Pātāla-fire, the two of them at that moment hurried swiftly forward.

1.20.1 Sūta said: Having crossed over that ocean, Kadrū, swift as thought, descended with Vinatā near the horse in no time at all.

1.20.2 And having observed many black hairs attached to its tail, Kadrū pressed Vinatā, whose face had fallen, into servitude.

1.20.3 Then Vinatā, defeated by that wager, overcome with sorrow, assumed the condition of a slave.

1.20.4 In the meantime, when the proper time arrived, the mighty Garuḍa, of great radiance, burst open his shell and was born, without his mother.

1.20.5 Blazing like a heap of fire, fully kindled and utterly terrifying, that great-bodied bird grew in an instant and soared into the sky.

1.20.6 Seeing him, all creatures sought refuge in Agni, bowing down and addressing him as he sat there in his universal form.

1.20.7 "O Agni, do not grow any further! Surely you do not wish to burn us? That great blazing mass of yours is spreading on and on!"

1.20.8 Agni said: "It is not as you think, O slayers of asuras. This is Garuḍa, the mighty one — equal to me in his own radiance."

1.20.9 Sūta said: Thus addressed, the gods then went to Garuḍa and, together with the hosts of sages, approached him closely and praised him with words.

1.20.10 "You are a ṛṣi, you are supremely blessed, you are a god, lord of birds. You are the sovereign, blazing like the sun. You are our incomparable refuge."

1.20.11 "You are a wave of strength, noble, undaunted in spirit, full of prosperity, irresistible. You are austerity, you are all learning, O one of undimmed glory — all that is to come and all that has come to pass."

1.20.12 "You are the highest; this entire creation, moving and unmoving, shines through you as the sun illumines with its rays — eclipsing even the sun's own brilliance again and again. You are the Ender of all this, both the fixed and the unfixed."

1.20.13 "As the sun when enraged would burn all creatures, so you burn them, O one blazing like fire. You are terrifying, like the fire of dissolution arisen, destroying all, bringing about the end at the turning of the cosmic age."

1.20.14 "We have come seeking refuge in you, lord of birds, of great might, beyond darkness, who range the clouds — we approach Garuḍa, the sky-farer, the great-armed, the boon-granter, of unconquerable valor."

1.20.15 Thus praised by the gods together with the hosts of sages, Suparṇa then withdrew into himself his own blazing radiance.

1.21.1 Sūta said: Then that bird who travels at will, of great heroism and immense strength, came to his mother's side at the far shore of the great ocean.

1.21.2 There Vinatā, defeated in that wager, afflicted with the deepest sorrow, had assumed the state of a slave.

1.21.3 Then one day, summoning Vinatā who was bowed down in her son's presence, Kadrū addressed her with these words at an opportune moment:

1.21.4 "O fortunate Vinatā, carry me to the delightful abode of the nāgas, beautiful and lovely, situated in a secluded part of the ocean's bosom."

1.21.5 Then the mother of Suparṇa carried the mother of serpents, and Garuḍa too, prompted by his mother's word, carried the serpents.

1.21.6 As Vainateya, that bird, flew close around the sun, the serpents were enveloped by the sun's rays and fell unconscious. Seeing her sons in that condition, Kadrū then praised Śakra.

1.21.7 "Salutation to you, O lord of the lords of gods! Salutation to you, O slayer of Bala! Salutation to you, O slayer of Namuci! O thousand-eyed one, consort of Śacī, salutation to you!"

1.21.8 "Be a flood of water for the serpents scorched by the sun. You alone are our supreme protection, O best of the immortals."

1.21.9 "For you are capable of creating vast waters, O Purandara. You yourself are the cloud, you are the wind, you are Agni, you are the lightning fire in the sky."

1.21.10 "You are the thrower of dense clouds, and they call you the cloud itself once again. You are the thunderbolt, incomparable and dreadful; you are the thunder-voiced rain cloud Balāhaka."

1.21.11 "You alone are the creator of the worlds and the destroyer, unconquered. You are the light of all beings; you are Āditya, the blazing fire."

1.21.12 "You are a great, wondrous being. You are the king, you are the best of gods. You are Viṣṇu, you are the thousand-eyed, you are the god, you are the supreme refuge."

1.21.13 "You are all nectar, O god; you are Soma, supremely worshipped. You are the muhūrta, and the tithi; you are the lava, and the kṣaṇa."

1.21.14 "You are the bright fortnight and the dark fortnight, the kalā, kāṣṭhā, truṭi, years, seasons, months, nights, and days."

1.21.15 "You are the earth at her best with mountains and forests; you are the sky, luminous with the sun, free of darkness. You are the great ocean, filled with timi and timiṅgila fish, with great waves, many makaras, and a home for fish."

1.21.16 "You are great glory — so you are ever worshipped by the wise and by the great ṛṣis with joyful hearts. Praised, you drink the soma at sacrifices, and the havis offered with the vaṣaṭ call for the welfare of beings."

1.21.17 "You are ever worshipped here by the brāhmaṇas for the sake of fruit; you are sung of in the Vedic ancillaries, O flood of incomparable strength. For your sake the twice-born lords, devoted to sacrifice, master the Vedic ancillaries together with all the Vedas."

1.22.1 Sūta said: Thus praised by Kadrū, the blessed Harivāhana covered the entire sky with masses of dark-blue clouds.

1.22.2 Those clouds, blazing with lightning, released abundant water and roared incessantly against one another in the sky as if competing.

1.22.3 The sky seemed to be packed solid with those most wondrous rain-clouds, which poured forth incomparable water ceaselessly with a tremendous roar.

1.22.4 The sky seemed to dance with the manifold surging waves of rain, and the firmament was filled with the resounding peal of thunder.

1.22.5 The nāgas were filled with the greatest joy when Vāsava rained down; and the earth too was flooded with water on every side.

1.23.1 Sūta said: Carried by Suparṇa, they quickly reached that place, which was encircled by the waters of the ocean and resounded with the cries of flocks of birds.

1.23.2 It was covered with rows of trees bearing varied fruits and flowers, enclosed by lovely mansions, and adorned with lotus pools as well.

1.23.3 It was embellished with lakes of clear water of variegated beauty, and fanned by holy breezes carrying divine fragrances.

1.23.4 It was beautified by sandal-wood trees that touched the sky with their fragrance, and which, shaken by the wind, were showering down rains of blossoms.

1.23.5 The showers of flowers and water seemed to be scattered over the nāgas assembled there; the place was heart-gladdening, holy, beloved of gandharvas and apsarases, resonant with the calls of many birds, lovely, and a source of delight for the sons of Kadrū.

1.23.6 Having reached that forest, the serpents sported there with joy, and they also addressed the mighty Suparṇa, that best of birds.

1.23.7 "Carry us to yet another island, most beautiful, with abundant water. For you, O sky-ranger, while flying, behold many lovely regions."

1.23.8 Reflecting on this, the bird then spoke to his mother Vinatā: "What is the reason, Mother, that I must do what the serpents say?"

1.23.9 Vinatā said: "I have become the slave of my ignoble sister, O best of birds — a false wager was contrived by the serpents through treachery."

1.23.10 Sūta said: When the reason had been told by his mother, the sky-traveler, pained by that sorrow, spoke these words to the serpents:

1.23.11 "By fetching what, or by knowing what, or by what act of valor here, may I be freed from slavery to you? Tell me truly, O tongue-flickering ones."

1.23.12 Hearing him, the serpents replied: "Bring us the amṛta by your power; then will your freedom from slavery come to pass, O sky-traveler."

1.24.1 Sūta said: Thus addressed by the serpents, Garuḍa then spoke to his mother: "I go to fetch the amṛta. I wish to know what I should eat on the way."

1.24.2 Vinatā said: "In a secluded part of the ocean's bosom is the supreme dwelling of the Niṣādas. After eating many thousands of them, bring back the amṛta."

1.24.3 "But you must never under any circumstance entertain the thought of killing a brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is not to be slain by any living being, for he is inviolable and without equal."

1.24.4 "When angered, a vipra becomes fire, the sun, poison, and a weapon. The vipra is the foremost among all creatures in receiving food, the best of the varṇas, a father, a teacher."

1.24.5 Garuḍa said: "Please tell me, Mother, since I ask — by what auspicious signs would I recognize a brāhmaṇa? You ought to explain this to me properly."

1.24.6 Vinatā said: "Son, whoever, once swallowed and lodged in your throat, burns like a live coal — like a swallowed hook — him you should know to be a bull among brāhmaṇas."

1.24.7 Sūta said: And Vinatā, from maternal love for her son, spoke these words to him — knowing his incomparable might — accompanied by a benediction.

1.24.8 "May the wind protect your wings, and the moon your back, my son. May fire protect your head, and the sun your entire being."

1.24.9 "And I, my son, am ever devoted to your peace and well-being. Go by an unobstructed path, dear child, to the accomplishment of your purpose."

1.24.10 Then, having heard his mother's words, he spread his wings and soared into the sky; and the powerful one approached the Niṣādas, hungry as great Death itself at the end of time.

1.24.11 Driving those Niṣādas together then, he stirred up a great dust reaching to the sky, dried up the waters in the ocean's bosom, and shook the mountains standing nearby.

1.24.12 Then the king of birds opened his enormous mouth, blocking the path of the Niṣādas; and the Niṣādas rushed headlong toward the mouth of that devourer of serpents.

1.24.13 Into that gaping mouth of immense size they flew by the thousands, like birds flying into the sky, bewildered by the swirling dust-laden wind, like trees shaken by a great gale in the forest.

1.24.14 Then the bird, scorcher of enemies, swift and mighty, closed his mouth — slaying those who eat fish of many kinds — hungry, that lord of sky-travellers, at that moment.

1.25.1 Sūta said: A brahmin along with his wife had reached Garuḍa's throat. Garuḍa — blazing like a flaming coal — spoke to him as he flew through the sky.

1.25.2 "O best of twice-born, come out quickly from my open mouth. A brahmin is never to be slain by me, not even one who is always given to wicked deeds."

1.25.3 As Garuḍa spoke thus, the brahmin addressed him: "This Niṣādī woman is my wife — let her come out together with me."

1.25.4 Garuḍa said: "Take this Niṣādī woman too and fly out swiftly. Sustain yourself well — you have not yet been digested by my fierce energy."

1.25.5 Sūta said: Then that brahmin came out, accompanied by the Niṣādī woman. Having praised Garuḍa, he departed to his desired destination.

1.25.6 When that brahmin had departed with his wife, the king of birds spread his wings and soared into the sky with the speed of thought.

1.25.7 Then he saw his father and, being questioned, told his father: "I have been sent by the serpents; I am resolved to fetch soma. I shall bring it this very day for the sake of freeing my mother from bondage."

1.25.8 "I was also instructed by my mother to eat Niṣādas. Yet I found no satisfaction even after devouring them by the thousands."

1.25.9 "Therefore, O blessed one, O lord, point out to me another food that I may eat and thereafter be capable of fetching the amṛta."

1.25.10 Kaśyapa said: "There was once a great sage named Vibhāvasu, exceedingly wrathful. He had a younger brother named Supratīka, great in his austerities."

1.25.11 "That great sage did not wish to hold wealth in common with his brother; Supratīka kept insisting on a partition, again and again."

1.25.12 "And his brother Vibhāvasu said to Supratīka: 'Many people desire to make a partition out of delusion, always. Once separated, they no longer regard one another, deluded by wealth.'"

1.25.13 "'Knowing those fools absorbed in self-interest, separated and each with his own wealth, enemies in the guise of friends then drive them further apart.'"

1.25.14 "'And others, knowing them to be divided, fall upon the gaps between them. The destruction of the divided is immeasurable and comes about swiftly.'"

1.25.15 "'Therefore the wise do not commend partition for those bound together under the teaching of a guru, who would come to be suspicious of one another.'"

1.25.16 "'Since you cannot be restrained and you desire to divide the wealth, therefore, O Supratīka, you shall become an elephant.'"

1.25.17 "Cursed thus, Supratīka then spoke to Vibhāvasu: 'You too shall become a tortoise that moves beneath the waters.'"

1.25.18 "Thus, through mutual curses, Supratīka and Vibhāvasu, their minds foolish on account of wealth, came to assume the forms of an elephant and a tortoise."

1.25.19 "Even though they had taken birth in animal wombs through the fault of their anger, they were devoted to mutual hatred, both proud of their extraordinary strength."

1.25.20 "These two with their great bodies, pursuing old enmity, dwell in that lake. One of them, the magnificent great elephant, now approaches."

1.25.21 "Hearing the trumpeting sound of the elephant, the tortoise, that great-bodied one who rests beneath the water, rises up, churning the entire lake."

1.25.22 "Seeing the tortoise, the elephant with its entwined trunk plunges into the water — mighty, with the force of its tusks, trunk, tail, and feet."

1.25.23 "As the elephant churns that lake filled with many fish, the tortoise too raises its head and comes forward mightily, eager for battle."

1.25.24 "The elephant stands six yojanas tall and is twice that in length; the tortoise is three yojanas in height and ten yojanas in circumference."

1.25.25 "These two, maddened for battle and each seeking victory over the other — make swift use of them and accomplish your desired goal."

1.25.26 Sūta said: Having heard his father's words, the sky-soarer of terrible speed seized the elephant with one talon and the tortoise with the other.

1.25.27 Then that great bird soared high into the sky and, reaching the sacred ford called Ālambatīrtha, he approached the trees of the gods.

1.25.28 Terrified, those divine trees with their golden branches trembled, struck by the wind of his wings, thinking, "Let him not break us."

1.25.29 Seeing those trees shaking their limbs — trees whose fruits fulfil all desires, with incomparably beautiful forms — the sky-ranger approached others.

1.25.30 He approached those great and radiant trees, their branches set with vaiḍūrya gems, bearing golden and silver fruits, surrounded by the waters of the ocean.

1.25.31 There, the Rohiṇa tree — exceedingly grown and very great — spoke to that best of birds as he came swooping with the speed of thought:

1.25.32 "This great branch of mine extends one hundred yojanas. Alight on this branch and devour these two — the elephant and the tortoise."

1.25.33 Then, swiftly swooping upon that tree frequented by thousands of birds, the best of birds — his body like a mountain — shook it with great speed and broke that branch, thickly covered with dense leaves.

1.26.1 Sūta said: The moment Garuḍa, so mighty, touched it with his feet, that branch of the tree snapped — and he caught hold of it as it broke.

1.26.2 Gazing and smiling at that broken great branch, he then saw the Vālakhilya sages hanging from it, head downward.

1.26.3 Out of fear of causing their destruction, the lord of birds swooped down, seized the branch in his beak out of concern for them, and flew gently, threading his way through the mountains.

1.26.4 Thus he flew over many regions, carrying the elephant and tortoise, out of compassion for the Vālakhilyas, yet found no place to set down.

1.26.5 Going to Gandhamādana, the foremost and imperishable of mountains, he there saw Kaśyapa, his father, standing in austerity.

1.26.6 His father too beheld that bird of divine form, endowed with splendour, heroism, and strength, swift as the mind and the wind.

1.26.7 He resembled a mountain peak, like Brahmā's staff raised on high — inconceivable, unrecognisable in form, terrifying to all beings.

1.26.8 He bore within him a valour like magic, like a blazing fire raised aloft — not to be assailed, not to be conquered by gods, dānavas, or rākṣasas.

1.26.9 He was a cleaver of mountain peaks, a drainer of river waters, a terrible churner of the worlds, dreadful to behold as Death itself.

1.26.10 Seeing him arrive and knowing his intention, the blessed Kaśyapa then spoke these words:

1.26.11 "Son, do not act rashly; do not bring sudden pain upon yourself. May the Vālakhilyas who feed on rays of light and who are fiercely wrathful not burn you."

1.26.12 Then Kaśyapa, for the sake of his son, appeased those Vālakhilyas who had perfected their austerities, pointing to this reason:

1.26.13 "O wealth-of-austerity sages, Garuḍa's undertaking is for the benefit of all living beings. He desires to accomplish a great deed — you should grant him your permission."

1.26.14 Thus addressed by the blessed one, those sages agreed. Releasing the branch, those ascetics then made for the sacred Himavat mountain.

1.26.15 Then, when they had departed, the son of Vinatā — his face still occupied by the branch held in his beak — questioned his father Kaśyapa.

1.26.16 "O blessed one, where shall I release this tree branch? Let the blessed one tell me of a region free from brahmins."

1.26.17 Then Kaśyapa pointed out to him a mountain devoid of people, its ravines sealed by snow, inaccessible even to the mind of others.

1.26.18 Entering the vast hollow of that mountain with the speed of thought, Tārkṣya flew swiftly, bearing the branch along with the elephant and tortoise.

1.26.19 Not even a hundred large or small leather thongs could encircle that great branch of the tree which the bird had seized and carried away.

1.26.20 Then Garuḍa, best among fliers, covered a distance of one hundred thousand yojanas in no very great time.

1.26.21 Reaching that mountain in a mere moment, following his father's words, the sky-ranger released that great branch there with a resounding crash.

1.26.22 Struck by the wind of his wings, the king of mountains trembled; the trees, shaken all together, showered down a rain of flowers.

1.26.23 And the peaks of that mountain shattered on all sides — those peaks of jewels and gold, which adorned the great mountain.

1.26.24 Many of the trees, struck by that branch, shone with their golden blossoms like clouds lit by lightning.

1.26.25 Those trees, blazing with golden blossoms and mingled with the minerals of the mountain, shone there, reflecting the rays of the sun.

1.26.26 Then, alighting on the peak of that mountain, Garuḍa — best of birds — devoured both the elephant and the tortoise.

1.26.27 Then he launched himself from the summit of the mountain peak with the speed of thought. Thereupon ill omens arose among the gods, portending fear.

1.26.28 Indra's beloved thunderbolt blazed with anguish, and a heavenly meteor with smoke and flame fell from the sky.

1.26.29 And so too the weapons of the Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas in their entirety, the Sādhyas, the Maruts, and whatever other hosts of gods — each one's weapon turned against the others.

1.26.30 Something unprecedented even in the war of gods and asuras then occurred: violent thundering winds blew, and meteors fell on every side.

1.26.31 Even the cloudless sky roared with tremendous sound, and the god who is the divine dispenser of rain rained down blood.

1.26.32 The garlands of the gods withered, their splendours grew dim; dreadful portent-clouds rained down much blood, and dust rose up to assail their crowns.

1.26.33 Then Śatakratu, greatly agitated with fear, seeing these dreadful omens together with the gods, spoke thus to Bṛhaspati:

1.26.34 "Why, O blessed one, have these terrible great omens arisen? And I see no enemy in battle who could challenge us."

1.26.35 Bṛhaspati said: "Through your transgression, O Devendra, and through your carelessness, O Śatakratu, a wondrous being has arisen through the austerities of the Vālakhilyas."

1.26.36 "The son of the sage Kaśyapa and of Vinatā, a flyer, powerful and capable of assuming any form, has arrived with intent to steal the soma."

1.26.37 "This bird, the foremost of the mighty, is capable of stealing the soma. I consider him capable of everything — he could even accomplish what is thought impossible."

1.26.38 Sūta said: Having heard these words, Śakra addressed the guardians of the amṛta: "A bird of great heroism and strength is here set on stealing the soma."

1.26.39 "I am alerting you so that he may not carry it off by force. Bṛhaspati has told me that his strength is matchless."

1.26.40 Hearing these words, the gods were astonished and took up their effort; they stood surrounding the amṛta, and Indra the thunderbolt-wielder, Śatakratu, stood among them.

1.26.41 Those high-minded ones wore their most precious armour — golden and variegated, set with vaiḍūrya gems —

1.26.42 — and they raised up manifold weapons of terrible appearance, innumerable, sharp and keen of point and edge, by the thousands.

1.26.43 Everywhere blazing with sparks and flames, emitting smoke — discs, iron clubs, tridents, and battle-axes —

1.26.44 — and various sharp spears, and bright swords, in forms that matched their own bodies, and maces fierce to behold —

1.26.45 — armed with those radiant weapons, adorned with divine ornaments, those shining hosts of gods stood free from all impurity.

1.26.46 Those gods — of incomparable strength, heroism, and splendour — their minds set on guarding the amṛta, destroyers of the cities of the asuras, shone with bodies blazing like kindled fire.

1.26.47 Thus that excellent battle-array of the gods — crowded with hundreds of thousands of iron clubs, shining within the expanse of the sky as if it were the sun's own radiance — blazed forth in glory.

1.27.1 Śaunaka said: What was Mahendra's offence, and what was his blunder, O son of a sūta? And how was Garuḍa born through the austerities of the Vālakhilyas?

1.27.2 And how did the lord of birds become the son of the twice-born Kaśyapa? How did he become unassailable by all beings, and how did he become invincible?

1.27.3 And how did that sky-traveller move freely at will and possess strength at will? I wish to hear all this, if it is recorded in the Purāṇa.

1.27.4 The Sūta said: What you ask me about is indeed a subject treated in the Purāṇa. O twice-born, hear from me as I recount it all in brief.

1.27.5 When the progenitor Kaśyapa was performing a sacrifice desiring a son, the seers, the gods, and the Gandharvas all rendered him assistance.

1.27.6 For the fetching of firewood, Śakra was assigned by Kaśyapa, along with the Vālakhilya sages and whatever other hosts of divinities were present.

1.27.7 Śakra, the mighty lord, easily lifted a load of firewood equal in size to a mountain, commensurate with his own strength, and bore it forward without much effort.

1.27.8 Then on the path he saw the tiny sages, as small as a thumb-joint at the belly, all together carrying a single stalk of a palāśa leaf.

1.27.9 Those ascetic-wealthy ones, as though dissolved into their own limbs, without food, afflicted with fatigue, with feeble strength, were struggling in water flooded even in a cow's hoofprint.

1.27.10 Seized with pride and intoxicated by his own might, Purandara laughed at them all and quickly leaped over them with contempt, dishonoring them.

1.27.11 Then those sages, utterly seized by rage and deeply angered, undertook a great deed that would strike terror into Śakra.

1.27.12 Those brāhmaṇas of intense austerity poured oblations into the sacred fire according to rule, with mantras both high and low, for a particular purpose — hear what that was.

1.27.13 "Let there arise another Indra of all the gods — one possessed of strength at will and movement at will, one who strikes fear into the king of the gods" — so vowed those keepers of their vows.

1.27.14 "Let one who is a hundredfold superior to Indra in heroism and prowess, swift as thought, and formidable, now come into being through the fruit of our austerities" — thus they spoke.

1.27.15 Learning of this, the king of the gods, Śatakratu, greatly distressed, went for refuge to Kaśyapa of sharpened vow.

1.27.16 Having heard of the king of the gods' plight, the progenitor Kaśyapa approached the Vālakhilyas and inquired about the completion of their ritual act.

1.27.17 Those truth-speakers replied to him, "So be it." Then the progenitor Kaśyapa spoke these conciliatory words to them.

1.27.18 "This Indra has been appointed over the three worlds by Brahmā's command, and you too, O wealthy in austerities, have been striving for the sake of Indra."

1.27.19 "O best of beings, you ought not render Brahmā's word false; nor do I intend to make your resolve come to naught."

1.27.20 "Let this one become Indra of the winged beings, supremely powerful and courageous; and let your grace be shown to the king of the gods who now supplicates you."

1.27.21 Thus addressed by Kaśyapa, the Vālakhilyas, wealthy in austerities, replied after duly honoring that best of sages and progenitor.

1.27.22 "This undertaking of ours all together was for the sake of Indra, O Progenitor; and your desired undertaking is for the sake of offspring."

1.27.23 "So let this fruit-bearing act be accepted by you, and arrange things here as you see to be the greatest good."

1.27.24 At this very time, the goddess Vinatā — the auspicious, beautiful daughter of Dakṣa, that illustrious one who was desirous of sons —

1.27.25 — having performed austerities and being devoted to her vow, having bathed and purified herself in the puṃsavana rite, approached her husband. Then Kaśyapa spoke to her.

1.27.26 "This undertaking of yours, O goddess, shall bear the fruit you desired; you will give birth to two heroic sons, lords of the three worlds."

1.27.27 "Born through the austerities of the Vālakhilyas and from my own intention likewise, your two highly fortunate sons shall be worshipped throughout the worlds."

1.27.28 The venerable Mārīca then spoke to her again: "This embryo of great and auspicious potency must be carried with all care and without negligence."

1.27.29 "One of them, that heroic sky-ranger honoured throughout the worlds, possessed of strength at will, shall exercise the lordship of Indra over all winged creatures."

1.27.30 Then the progenitor, pleased, spoke to Śatakratu: "These two birds shall be your brothers and allies."

1.27.31 "No harm shall come to you from these two, O Purandara. Let your anxiety depart, O Śakra; you yourself shall remain Indra."

1.27.32 "And you must never again despise the knowers of Brahman, nor out of arrogance dishonor those whose words are venomous and who are provoked to fierce anger."

1.27.33 Thus addressed, Indra departed free of anxiety to heaven, and Vinatā too had her purpose accomplished and became joyful.

1.27.34 She gave birth to two sons — Aruṇa and Garuḍa. Of the two, Aruṇa was deformed and became the forerunner of the Sun.

1.27.35 Garuḍa was consecrated as Indra of the winged beings. O joy of the Bhṛgu line, hear now of this great deed of his.

1.28.1 The Sūta said: Then, O best of the twice-born, when that event had thus unfolded, Garutmān, the lord of birds, swiftly advanced against the gods.

1.28.2 Seeing him of such overwhelming strength, they trembled on all sides; and yet they struck one another even while wielding all their weapons.

1.28.3 There was present one of immeasurable spirit, blazing like lightning and fire, named Bhauvana, of very great heroism, the guardian of the Soma.

1.28.4 Wounded by that lord of birds with his wings, beak, and talons, he fought an incomparable battle for a moment and then was slain in combat.

1.28.5 The sky-traveller stirred up a great mass of dust with the wind of his wings, darkened the worlds so they were without light, and with it scattered the gods.

1.28.6 Enveloped in that dust, the gods fell into confusion; the guardians of the nectar, shrouded by the dust, could not see him.

1.28.7 Thus Garuḍa threw the abode of the three heavens into turmoil, and with blows of his wings and beak he tore the gods asunder.

1.28.8 Then the thousand-eyed god quickly urged on the Wind: "Disperse this rain of dust — that is your task, O Wind."

1.28.9 Then the mighty Wind swiftly blew away that dust. Once the darkness had cleared, the gods assailed the bird.

1.28.10 The powerful bird roared aloud with the sound of a great storm-cloud, terrifying all beings even while being assailed by the hosts of gods; and the lord of birds, of great heroism and slayer of enemy heroes, soared upward.

1.28.11 Soaring up and hovering above the gods in the midair, all the armoured gods showered him with weapons of every kind from below.

1.28.12 With axes, iron clubs, spears, and maces together with Vāsava, and also with blazing discuses with sharp edges resembling the sun in form.

1.28.13 Though struck on all sides by discharges of every kind of weapon and waging a most tumultuous battle, the lord of birds did not waver.

1.28.14 Roaring as if filling the sky, the valiant son of Vinatā flung the gods in every direction with his wings and chest.

1.28.15 Those gods, thus hurled away and tormented by Garuḍa, fled; wounded by his talons and beak, they bled profusely.

1.28.16 The Sādhyas along with the Gandharvas fled to the east; the Vasus fled to the south along with the Rudras, all driven away by the lord of birds.

1.28.17 The Ādityas fled to the western quarter, the Nāsatyas to the north, repeatedly glancing back and fighting against the one of great might.

1.28.18 With the hero Aśvakranda, with the bird Reṇuka, with the valiant Krathana, and with the sky-traveller Tapana —

1.28.19 — and with Ulūka and Śvasana, and with the bird Nimeṣa, and with Praruja and Praliha — with all these he waged battle.

1.28.20 With tips of his wings, talons, and beak the son of Vinatā tore them apart, infuriated like Śiva with his Pināka bow at the end of an age, possessed of great might.

1.28.21 Those beings of great heroism and great energy, lacerated in many ways by him, shone like dense storm clouds raining torrents of blood.

1.28.22 Having left all those beings deprived of their lives, the best of birds, advancing for the sake of the nectar, saw fire blazing on all sides.

1.28.23 It was enveloping the sky on all sides with its great flames, scorching like the fierce-rayed sun, terrible, fanned by the wind.

1.28.24 Then the swift and great-souled Garuḍa, having made ninety times ninety mouths, drank up rivers with those mouths and returned again with great speed.

1.28.25 That scorcher of enemies, the chariot of feathers, extinguished the blazing fire with those rivers. Then, wishing to enter and having quenched the fire, he assumed a different, small form.

1.29.1 The Sūta said: Becoming made of pure gold, blazing brilliantly with rays of light, the bird forcefully entered like a current of water rushing into the ocean.

1.29.2 He saw near the nectar a wheel rimmed with razor-sharp blades, whirling ceaselessly, of keen edge, made of iron.

1.29.3 Blazing with the radiance of fire and sun, terrible, a cutter-down of those who would steal the Soma — that device of most terrible form had been skillfully constructed by the gods.

1.29.4 The sky-traveller, perceiving the gaps in it, began to revolve; contracting his body in an instant, he darted through the spaces between the spokes.

1.29.5 Below the wheel, in that place, were two serpents of most fearsome kind — their tongues like lightning, their faces blazing, their eyes blazing — shining with the radiance of a blazing fire.

1.29.6 Those best of serpents, possessed of poison in their very gaze, of great heroism, perpetually enraged, and swift — he saw them stationed there for the very purpose of guarding the nectar.

1.29.7 Their eyes always inflamed, their gaze forever unwinking — whomever even one of the two looked upon would instantly be reduced to ashes.

1.29.8 Suparṇa swiftly blinded the eyes of the two with dust; his own form unseen, he then assailed them on all sides.

1.29.9 Mounting upon the bodies of the two, the sky-ranger, son of Vinatā, swiftly cut them down in the middle; then he rushed toward the Soma.

1.29.10 That powerful and heroic son of Vinatā then tore out the nectar, and having shattered the device, he leaped upward with great speed.

1.29.11 Without drinking the nectar, the powerful bird, swiftly grasping it, departed without fatigue — that sky-traveller who was able to obscure the brilliance of the sun.

1.29.12 Then in the sky the son of Vinatā met Viṣṇu; Nārāyaṇa was pleased with him for that act of freedom from greed.

1.29.13 The imperishable god said to that sky-traveller, "I am a granter of boons." That sky-ranger chose: "May I always dwell above you."

1.29.14 And he spoke these words to Nārāyaṇa once more: "May I be free from old age and immortal even without the nectar."

1.29.15 Having received those two boons, Garuḍa said to Viṣṇu: "I also grant a boon to you; let the Blessed Lord choose as well."

1.29.16 Kṛṣṇa chose the mighty Garutmān as his mount; and the Blessed Lord made him his banner, saying to him: "You shall abide above me."

1.29.17 Chasing the bird, Indra struck him on the body with his vajra — that sky-ranger, that enemy of the gods, who was carrying away the nectar by force.

1.29.18 Thus struck by the vajra, Garuḍa, the best of fliers, spoke to Indra with a laugh and with gentle words:

1.29.19 "I shall honor the sage from whose bones the vajra was made; and I shall show honour to the vajra itself and to you as well, O Śatakratu."

1.29.20 "I now shed a single feather the end of which you shall never find; for the fall of the vajra has never caused me any pain at any time."

1.29.21 There all living beings, astonished, spoke at that time upon beholding that beautiful bird: 'Let this be Suparṇa.'

1.29.22 And seeing that marvel, Sahasrākṣa, the destroyer of cities, reflecting that this bird is a great being, addressed him.

1.29.23 'I wish to know the strength that is supreme and unsurpassed in you, and I desire an eternal friendship with you, O best of birds.'

1.30.1 Garuḍa said: 'Let there be friendship between you and me, O god, as you wish, O Purandara. But know my strength to be great and truly unbearable.'

1.30.2 'Indeed, the virtuous do not commend self-praise of one's own strength, nor the recounting of one's own virtues by oneself, O Śatakratu.'

1.30.3 'But since you, O friend, treating me as a friend have asked me, I shall tell you; for that which is mixed with self-praise ought not to be spoken without reason.'

1.30.4 'This broad earth with its mountains and forests, and this ocean with its forests, and you yourself clinging here — all this with a single sinew of my wing, O Śakra —'

1.30.5 '— or all the worlds gathered together with their stationary and moving beings, I could carry without fatigue. Know this to be my great strength.'

1.30.6 The Sūta said: To that hero who had spoken thus, O Śaunaka, the diadem-wearer, best of the glorious, the lord Indra, benefactor of all beings, replied.

1.30.7 'Let this supreme and eternal friendship of mine be accepted now. You have no need of the Soma; give the Soma to me — for those from whom you would give it would trouble us.'

1.30.8 Garuḍa said: 'For a certain reason I am carrying this Soma. I will not give it to anyone whatsoever to take away.'

1.30.9 'But wherever I myself set it down, O Sahasrākṣa, then you swiftly take it away, O lord of the thirty gods.'

1.30.10 Śakra said: 'I am pleased by this speech you have spoken here, O born-of-an-egg. Whatever boon you desire from me, take it, O best of birds.'

1.30.11 The Sūta said: Thus addressed, he replied thus, remembering the sons of Kadrū, and also recalling the deception done regarding his mother's enslavement.

1.30.12 'I am master of all, and I shall fulfil your request as well. O Śakra, may the mighty serpents become my food.'

1.30.13 Having said 'So be it,' the slayer of demons then followed him, saying to him: 'I shall take the Soma once it is set down.'

1.30.14 Then Suparṇa came swiftly to his mother's side, and then addressed all the serpents thus, with great joy.

1.30.15 'This amṛta I have brought I shall place on the kuśa grass for you. Having bathed and performed auspicious rites, then eat it, O serpents.'

1.30.16 'And this mother shall be a slave no longer; from this day let her be free to me. The word I gave to you has been fulfilled.'

1.30.17 Then the serpents went to bathe, having replied to him 'So be it.' And Śakra, snatching up the amṛta, returned again to the triple heaven.

1.30.18 Then the serpents, desiring the Soma, came to that spot — having bathed, performed their recitations, joyful, and having performed auspicious rites.

1.30.19 The serpents, knowing that it had been taken away and that it was a mere semblance, and that this was the place where the Soma had been, then licked the kuśa grass.

1.30.20 Thereupon, by that act, the tongues of the serpents became forked. And those blades of kuśa grass, from the touch of the amṛta, became sacred.

1.30.21 Then Suparṇa, supremely joyful, having sported with his mother in that forest — the devourer of serpents, greatly honoured by the birds, his glory unblemished — made Vinatā rejoice.

1.30.22 Whoever constantly hears this tale or recites it in an assembly of leading brāhmaṇas shall, without doubt, attain the triple heaven, gaining merit through the glorification of the great-souled lord of birds.

1.31.1 Śaunaka said: 'The cause of the curse on the serpents, and of the mother and her son, and of Vinatā, O son of a Sūta, you have narrated.'

1.31.2 'The granting of boons by the husband to Kadrū and Vinatā, and also the names of the two birds born of Vinatā, have been told by you.'

1.31.3 'But the names of the serpents you do not recite, O son of a Sūta. We wish to hear the principal names as well.'

1.31.4 The Sūta said: 'Because of the great number of names of the serpents, O wealth of asceticism, I shall not recite all of them. Hear from me only the principal ones.'

1.31.5 Śeṣa was born first, then Vāsuki; and Airāvata, Takṣaka, and Karkoṭaka and Dhanaṃjaya.

1.31.6 Kālīya and Maṇināga, and the serpent Apūraṇa, and also the serpent Piñjaraka, then Elāpatra and Vāmana.

1.31.7 The two serpents Nīla and Anīla, and also Kalmāṣa and Śabala, and Āryaka and Ādika, and also the serpent Śalapotaka.

1.31.8 Sumanomukha and Dadhimukha, and also Vimalapiṇḍaka; Āpta and also Koṭanaka, Śaṅkha and Vālaśikha as well.

1.31.9 Niṣṭhyūnaka, Hemaguha, Nahuṣa and Piṅgala, Bāhyakarṇa and Hastipada, and also Mudgarapiṇḍaka.

1.31.10 Kambala and Aśvatara, and also the serpent Kālīyaka, and the two serpents Vṛtta and Saṃvartaka, and two known as the Padmas.

1.31.11 The serpent Śaṅkhanaka, and also another named Sphaṇḍaka; the great serpent Kṣemaka and the serpent Piṇḍāraka as well.

1.31.12 Karavīra, Puṣpadaṃṣṭra, Eḷaka, Bilvapāṇḍuka, Mūṣakāda, Śaṅkhaśiras, Pūrṇadaṃṣṭra, and Haridraka.

1.31.13 Aparājita, Jyotika the serpent, and Śrīvaha; Kauravya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Puṣkara, and also Śalyaka.

1.31.14 Virajā, Subāhu, and the mighty Śālipiṇḍa, Hastibhadra, Pīṭharaka, Mukhara, and Koṇavāsana.

1.31.15 Kuñjara, Kurara, and also the serpent Prabhākara, Kumuda and Kumudākṣa, Tittiri and Halika, and both Karkara and Akarkara, and Kuṇḍodara and Mahodara.

1.31.16 These serpents have been named in order of prominence, O best of twice-born. Because of the great number of names, the others have not been recited.

1.31.17 The offspring of these, and the lineages of those offspring — regarding them I do not speak, O best of twice-born, deeming them to be without number.

1.31.18 Many thousands, millions, and tens of millions here — truly impossible to count — are the serpents, O wealth of asceticism.

1.32.1 Śaunaka said: 'Indeed the serpents were born, O dear one, mighty and unapproachable. But having come to know that curse, what did they do next?'

1.32.2 The Sūta said: Among them, the blessed Śeṣa of great renown, abandoning Kadrū, undertook vast austerities, living on air, with restrained vows.

1.32.3 Reaching Gandhamādana, and Badarī, intent on asceticism; at Gokarṇa, in the forest of Puṣkara, and on the slopes of the Himālayas.

1.32.4 In those various holy tīrthas and sacred shrines, living in solitude, disciplined, constantly, with his senses conquered.

1.32.5 The Grandfather beheld him practising terrible austerities — the lord, his flesh, skin, and sinews withered, wearing matted locks and bark garments.

1.32.6 The Grandfather spoke to him, holding to truth, as he performed austerities: 'What is this you are doing, Śeṣa? Ensure the well-being of living creatures.'

1.32.7 'For with your fierce austerity you cause affliction to living creatures, O sinless one. Tell me your desire, O Śeṣa — that which has long been lodged in your heart.'

1.32.8 Śeṣa said: 'All my brothers from the same mother are of dull mind. I have no desire to live with them — may Your Honour consent to this.'

1.32.9 'They constantly envy one another like enemies; therefore I practise austerity, thinking: may I not see them.'

1.32.10 'They constantly do not endure Vinatā and her son, and our other brother Vainateya, O Grandfather.'

1.32.11 'They hate him exceedingly, and he too is of very great strength, by virtue of the boon from his father, the great-souled Kaśyapa.'

1.32.12 'Therefore I, having undertaken austerity, shall abandon this body — so that even after death there may be no association with them for me.'

1.32.13 Brahmā said: 'I know, O Śeṣa, the conduct of all your brothers. And from the fault of your mother there is indeed great danger for your brothers.'

1.32.14 'And a remedy has already been arranged here beforehand, O serpent. For all of your brothers, you ought not to grieve.'

1.32.15 'And choose a boon from me, O Śeṣa, whatever you desire. For I will grant you a boon today; my pleasure in you is supreme.'

1.32.16 'By good fortune your mind is fixed on dharma, O best of serpents. Therefore may your mind be firmly stable in dharma even more.'

1.32.17 Śeṣa said: 'This very thing is the boon I desire today, O Great-grandfather: may my mind delight in dharma, in tranquillity, and in austerity, O Lord.'

1.32.18 Brahmā said: 'I am pleased by this self-restraint and tranquillity of yours, O Śeṣa. But this task must be done by you, by my command, for the welfare of living beings.'

1.32.19 'This earth adorned with mountains and forests, with its oceans, with its towns and cities — O Śeṣa, support it properly as it trembles, so that it may be steady.'

1.32.20 Śeṣa said: 'As the god, the granter of boons, the lord of beings, the lord of the earth, the lord of the world commands, so shall I hold the earth steady. Place it upon my head, O Lord of beings.'

1.32.21 Brahmā said: 'Go beneath the earth, O best of serpents — she herself will give you an opening. By you holding this earth up, a great favour will be done for me, O Śeṣa.'

1.32.22 The Sūta said: Having said 'So be it,' he entered the opening. That lord of the earth, the foremost of the best of serpents, stands there, bearing on his head this goddess Earth, grasping her with her ocean-rim on all sides.

1.32.23 Brahmā said: 'You are Śeṣa, O best of serpents, the god of dharma. You alone bear this earth with your infinite coils encompassing it all — even as I do, even as Balabhit does.'

1.32.24 The Sūta said: Thus the serpent Ananta, powerful in might, dwells beneath the earth, holding the earth alone, the mighty one, by Brahmā's command.

1.32.25 And the blessed Grandfather, best of the immortals, then granted Suparṇa, the son of Vinatā, as a friend to Ananta.

1.33.1 The Sūta said: Having heard that curse from their mother, the best of serpents, Vāsuki, began to think: 'How may this curse not come to pass?'

1.33.2 Then he took counsel on all sides with his brothers led by Airāvata — those who were devoted to dharma.

1.33.3 Vāsuki said: 'This curse as declared you all know, O sinless ones. For the sake of release from that curse, having deliberated, let us strive.'

1.33.4 'For all curses there is a counter-remedy; yet there may be no release for those who have been cursed by their own mother, O serpents.'

1.33.5 'Upon hearing that we were cursed in the presence of the Imperishable, the Immeasurable, and Truth itself, a trembling arises in my heart.'

1.33.6 'Surely this our complete destruction has been proclaimed. For that imperishable god did not restrain her as she cursed.'

1.33.7 'Therefore let us deliberate here on the welfare of the serpents, so that it may be for all of us; let not this time pass us by.'

1.33.8 'Even while deliberating we may perceive a means for deliverance — just as the gods once found the hidden fire that had entered a cave.'

1.33.9 'Such that that sacrifice may not take place, or such that it may be defeated — the sacrifice of Janamejaya that is the instrument of the serpents' destruction.'

1.33.10 The Sūta said: Saying 'So be it,' all those sons of Kadrū assembled together and made a compact there — skilled in the wisdom of counsel.

1.33.11 Some of the serpents there said: 'Let us become foremost brāhmaṇas and beg Janamejaya, saying: may your sacrifice not take place.'

1.33.12 But other serpents there, fancying themselves learned, said: 'All of us shall become his trusted ministers, well esteemed.'

1.33.13 He will ask us to determine the purpose in all matters; there we shall offer our counsel so that the sacrifice may be averted.

1.33.14 Knowing us, who are well esteemed, to be the best among the wise, that king will clearly ask us for the sake of the sacrifice — and we shall say: no.

1.33.15 Showing many terrible faults pertaining to the next world and to this one, with reasons and grounds, we shall argue that the sacrifice should not take place.

1.33.16 Or, whoever shall be the officiating priest at that rite — one who knows the ritual procedure of the serpent sacrifice and is devoted to serving the king's interest —

1.33.17 Let some serpent go and bite him; he shall die. When that performer of the sacrifice is slain, the rite shall not proceed.

1.33.18 And whatever other priests versed in the serpent sacrifice shall serve as his officiants — we shall bite them all; thus the deed will be accomplished.

1.33.19 Then other serpents of righteous soul deliberated there: "This is foolishness on your part — the slaying of a brahmin is not a thing of merit."

1.33.20 "For calm in adversity, rooted properly in right conduct, is the highest good; but dominance of unrighteousness would destroy the entire world."

1.33.21 Other serpents then said: "Becoming clouds with lightning, we shall quench the blazing sacrificial fire with rain."

1.33.22 "Or let other excellent serpents go by night and swiftly steal the ladles and sacrificial vessels from the heedless attendants — thus the obstruction will be accomplished."

1.33.23 "Or let serpents at that sacrifice, in hundreds and thousands, bite all the people — thus terror will come about."

1.33.24 "Or let the serpents defile the prepared food with their own urine and excrement, destroying all the food."

1.33.25 Others said there: "Let us become his priests; we will obstruct the sacrifice — let fees be given." And having come under our sway, he will act as we desire.

1.33.26 Others said there: "Let us seize the king while he is sporting in the water, bring him home, and bind him — thus the rite shall not take place."

1.33.27 Other serpents who were doers of good deeds said there: "Let us quickly seize and bite him — thus the deed will be accomplished. When he is dead, the root of our misfortunes will be severed."

1.33.28 "This indeed is the final counsel agreed upon by all; or as you, O lord, may think best — let that be arranged quickly."

1.33.29 Having spoken thus, they all looked toward Vāsuki, the lord of serpents; and Vāsuki too, having reflected, spoke to those serpents.

1.33.30 "This final counsel of yours is not what I consider should be done, O serpents; none of these plans of all the serpents pleases me."

1.33.31 "But what is to be arranged here for the benefit of all of you — I am greatly tormented by this, since both the merits and the defects rest with me."

1.34.1 The Sūta said: Having heard the words of all of them — the various proposals — and having heard the speech of Vāsuki, Elāpatra spoke thus.

1.34.2 "That sacrifice will not fail to take place; nor will that king be otherwise — Janamejaya the Pāṇḍava descendant, from whom comes our great fear."

1.34.3 "A man who is struck by fate, O king, must take shelter in fate alone — there is no other recourse in that matter."

1.34.4 "This fear of ours is thus from fate, O best of serpents; let us take shelter in fate alone in this matter — and hear my words."

1.34.5 "When the curse was being uttered, I heard those words at that time, seated in fear on our mother's lap, O best of serpents."

1.34.6 "O best among serpents, O lord of great splendor, the gods, afflicted with grief, approached the Grandfather, saying 'The fierce ones, the fierce ones!'"

1.34.7 The gods said: "Who indeed, having obtained beloved sons, would curse them thus, O Grandfather, except Kadrū of fierce nature — before you, O god of gods?"

1.34.8 "And you too uttered the words 'So be it' to her speech, O Grandfather — this we wish to understand: what is the reason why she was not restrained?"

1.34.9 Brahman said: "Many serpents are fierce, of terrible might, and overflowing with venom; wishing for the welfare of living beings, I did not restrain her at that time."

1.34.10 "Those that bite, the vile ones that walk in evil and overflow with venom — their destruction will come; but not those who walk in righteousness."

1.34.11 "And the reason for the deliverance of those serpents from that great fear — hear that now, when the time has come."

1.34.12 "In the clan of the Yāyāvaras, a great wise sage shall arise, famed as Jaratkāru, of brilliant energy, with subdued senses."

1.34.13 "His son, born of Jaratkāru, of great austerity, named Āstīka, shall stop that sacrifice at that time; and there the serpents who shall be righteous will be released."

1.34.14 The gods said: "That chief of sages, O god, Jaratkāru of great austerity — upon whom shall that mighty one, valiant in power, beget his great-souled son?"

1.34.15 Brahman said: "Upon a maiden of the same name as himself, O gods — that best of twice-born, that mighty one, shall beget an offspring equal in valor."

1.34.16 Elāpatra said: "'So be it,' the gods said to that Grandfather; and having spoken thus, the gods departed, and so did that divine Grandfather."

1.34.17 "I thus foresee this, O Vāsuki: your sister who is known as Jaratkāru — give her to him."

1.34.18 "To the sage of holy vows who will come begging like a mendicant, give her for the pacification of the serpents' fear — this deliverance I heard of."

1.35.1 The Sūta said: O best of twice-born, having heard the words of Elāpatra, all the serpents, with rejoicing hearts, honored him saying "Well said, well said!"

1.35.2 From that time forward Vāsuki carefully guarded that maiden Jaratkāru, his sister; and he experienced the greatest joy.

1.35.3 Then no very great time seemed to pass before all the gods and asuras churned the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa.

1.35.4 There the serpent Vāsuki, best among the mighty, served as the rope; and having completed that labor, they approached the Grandfather.

1.35.5 The gods together with Vāsuki then said to the Grandfather: "O blessed one, this Vāsuki, afraid of the curse, is greatly tormented."

1.35.6 "You should remove this mental anguish arising from his mother's curse, O god — he who desires the welfare of his kinsmen."

1.35.7 "For this king of serpents has always been helpful and dear to us; show your grace, O lord of gods, and quench the fever of his mind."

1.35.8 Brahman said: "That which was declared to him long ago by the serpent Elāpatra — that very word was dispensed by my own mind, O immortals."

1.35.9 "Let this lord of serpents carry out that word which has come to its appointed time; the evil ones will perish, but not those who walk in righteousness."

1.35.10 "That twice-born Jaratkāru, devoted to fierce austerity, has been born; let this one give him his sister Jaratkāru at the proper time."

1.35.11 "What was spoken at that time by the serpent Elāpatra, O gods — that is for the benefit of the serpents; it is so and not otherwise."

1.35.12 The Sūta said: Hearing these words of the Grandfather, that lord of serpents then stationed many serpents, always engaged, to watch over Jaratkāru.

1.35.13 "When the mighty Jaratkāru wishes to choose a wife, come quickly and inform me — that will be for our good."

1.36.1 Śaunaka said: "O son of the Sūta, you have mentioned the name Jaratkāru — I wish to hear about that great-souled sage."

1.36.2 "For what reason is this name Jaratkāru renowned on earth? You should properly explain the derivation of the name Jaratkāru."

1.36.3 The Sūta said: "'Jarā' they call a terrible wasting away; 'kāru' denotes the body — he had such a body; and that wise one, little by little,

1.36.4 wore it away through fierce austerity — therefore he is called Jaratkāru, O brahmin; and likewise Vāsuki's sister."

1.36.5 Thus addressed, the righteous-souled Śaunaka laughed, and having acknowledged Ugraśravas, said "Well answered."

1.36.6 The Sūta said: Then, for a great length of time, that sage of sharpened vow, the wise one devoted to austerity, did not desire a wife.

1.36.7 That great-souled one, practicing upward retention of seed, absorbed in austerity, devoted to sacred study, free from fear and weariness, wandered over the whole earth; and he did not desire a wife even in his mind.

1.36.8 Then, at another time that arrived, there was a king renowned as Parīkṣit, the upholder of the Kaurava lineage.

1.36.9 Just as the mighty-armed Pāṇḍu, the foremost archer on earth, was fond of hunting — so was his great-grandfather of old.

1.36.10 Piercing deer, boars, hyenas, buffaloes, and other various forest creatures, that lord of the earth wandered about.

1.36.11 Once, having wounded a deer with a straight-jointed arrow, he gave chase into the dense forest, bow in hand.

1.36.12 Just as the blessed Rudra, having wounded the sacrifice-deer in the sky, followed after it with bow in hand, searching here and there.

1.36.13 For a deer once wounded by him does not go away alive into the forest; but this was surely a portent of his going to heaven — the deer that was wounded and vanished on that king Parīkṣit.

1.36.14 Led far away by that deer, that lord of the earth, exhausted and suffering from thirst, came upon a sage in the forest.

1.36.15 He was seated in the cow-pasture, largely consuming the foam flowing from the mouths of calves drinking milk.

1.36.16 Running swiftly toward that sage of sharpened vow, the king, raising his bow and afflicted with hunger and fatigue, asked him.

1.36.17 "Ho there, O brahmin! I am the king Parīkṣit, son of Abhimanyu. A deer I wounded has gone missing — have you perhaps seen it?"

1.36.18 That sage, observing his vow of silence, said nothing at all to him; so the angry king placed a dead serpent on his shoulder with the tip of his bow.

1.36.19 Lifting it up with the tip of his bow, he looked at him, but spoke not a word to him — neither auspicious nor inauspicious.

1.36.20 That king, having cast off his anger, and distressed at seeing him in that condition, went to the city; the sage remained sitting just as he was.

1.36.21 He had a young son of sharp energy and great austerity, named Śṛṅgī, of great wrath, hard to appease, and of mighty vows.

1.36.22 He regularly attended upon the supreme lord Brahman, the divine one devoted to the welfare of all beings, with complete self-restraint; and having been given leave by that Brahman, he went home.

1.36.23 O best of twice-born, as he was coming, he was addressed in jest by a playful, laughing friend — the son of a sage named Kṛśa, who was extremely hot-tempered, wrathful, and like venom, the sage's son.

1.36.24 "Your father, though so energetic and such an ascetic, carries a corpse on his shoulder — do not be so proud, O Śṛṅgī."

1.36.25 "Do not speak any such words to the sons of sages — to the accomplished ones, the knowers of Brahman, the ascetics such as we are."

1.36.26 "Where is your self-importance now? Where are such words of yours, born of arrogance — you whose father you shall see carrying a corpse like that?"

1.37.1 The Sūta said: Thus addressed, that energetic Śṛṅgī, filled with anger, hearing that his teacher was carrying a dead thing, was consumed with fury.

1.37.2 Looking at that Kṛśa and suppressing a kind reply, he asked: "How is it that my father is today a carrier of a dead thing?"

1.37.3 Kṛśa said: "Dear friend, the king Parīkṣit, while ranging about on a hunt, today hung a dead serpent on your father's shoulder."

1.37.4 Śṛṅgī said: "What wrong did my father do to that evil-souled king? Tell me truthfully, O Kṛśa — and witness the power of my austerity."

1.37.5 Kṛśa said: That king Parīkṣit, son of Abhimanyu, having gone out hunting, chased a deer alone after wounding it with a feathered arrow.

1.37.6 Not finding the deer as he roamed that great forest, the king, upon seeing your father, questioned him — though he was one who did not speak.

1.37.7 Him standing there motionless as a post, the king — exhausted by hunger, thirst, and fatigue — questioned your father again and again about the lost deer.

1.37.8 But he, bound by his vow of silence, did not answer him at all; and the king, with the tip of his bow, placed a dead serpent upon his shoulder.

1.37.9 O Śṛṅgin, your father sits just so even now, steadfast in his vow; and that king has returned to his own city, Gajāhvaya.

1.37.10 The Sūta said: Hearing this, the son of the sage stood as though he had struck the sky, his eyes red with rage, blazing as it were with wrath.

1.37.11 Seized by anger, that brilliant one then cursed the king, touching water and overpowered by the force and violence of his fury.

1.37.12 Śṛṅgin said: That sinful king who has thrown a dead serpent upon the shoulder of my aged father while he was in distress —

1.37.13 — that wicked one, Takṣaka the foremost of serpents, venomous-fanged, of fierce brilliance, urged on by the power of my words in great fury,

1.37.14 shall conduct him from this day to the abode of Yama within seven nights — this despiser of brahmins, this disgrace to the Kurus.

1.37.15 The Sūta said: Having thus cursed the king in his anger, Śṛṅgin went to his father, who sat in that grove still bearing the dead serpent.

1.37.16 Seeing his father with the dead serpent still upon his shoulder, Śṛṅgin was filled with grief and anger anew.

1.37.17 From grief he shed tears and spoke these words to his father: "Father, having heard of this insult inflicted upon you by that wicked one —

1.37.18 — by King Parīkṣit, I have in my fury cursed that king with the terrible curse he deserves, the lowest of the Kuru line.

1.37.19 On the seventh day, Takṣaka, the foremost of serpents, shall conduct that wretch to the dreadful abode of Vaivasvata.

1.37.20 His father addressed him, so filled with anger, and said: O brahmin, you have not done what is pleasing to me, my son; this is not the dharma of ascetics.

1.37.21 We dwell in the realm of that king; we are properly protected by him. Therefore I do not approve of his being harmed.

1.37.22 For such as we are, we must always forgive a king acting in any manner, my son — for dharma when destroyed destroys in return; of this there is no doubt.

1.37.23 If the king did not protect us, we would suffer greatly; we would not be able to practise dharma in peace and comfort, my son.

1.37.24 Being protected by kings who act according to the scriptures, we practise abundant dharma, and they too receive a rightful share of that dharma.

1.37.25 Parīkṣit in particular protects us even as his great-grandfather did; he protects his subjects as a king ought to protect them.

1.37.26 By him — wearied today, hungry and fatigued, an ascetic — this was done without knowing my vow. Of this there is no doubt.

1.37.27 Therefore this wrong act has been rashly committed by you out of childishness; for the king in no way deserves a curse from us, my son.

1.38.1 Śṛṅgin said: Whether this was rashness, father, or a wrong deed done, whether it pleases you or not — the word I have spoken is not false.

1.38.2 It shall not be otherwise, father — this I tell you. I do not speak falsehood even in jest; how much less when pronouncing a curse.

1.38.3 Śamīka said: I know you, my son, to be of fierce power and true speech; you have never spoken what is untrue — this too shall not prove false.

1.38.4 Nevertheless, a son, however grown, must always be instructed by his father, so that he may become endowed with virtues and attain great fame.

1.38.5 How much more so when you are but a child, though formed by asceticism, O lord. And indeed the anger of great souls who are powerful grows exceedingly.

1.38.6 So I see that you, O best upholder of dharma, must be spoken to, considering both your filial status and your youth, as well as this rashness of yours.

1.38.7 Therefore, be possessed of calmness, live subsisting on forest food, and abandon this anger — do not thus forsake dharma.

1.38.8 For anger destroys the dharma that ascetics have accumulated through suffering; and those bereft of dharma do not attain the desired goal.

1.38.9 Serenity alone is the cause of perfection for ascetics who possess forbearance; both this world and the next belong to those endowed with forbearance.

1.38.10 Therefore conduct yourself always with forbearance as your nature, with senses conquered; through forbearance you shall attain worlds next to that of Brahman.

1.38.11 But I, resorting to calmness, shall do what can be done today — I shall send a messenger to the king this very day.

1.38.12 "You have been cursed by my son, a child of immature understanding, O king, who was provoked to indignation upon witnessing this insult to me inflicted by you."

1.38.13 The Sūta said: Having given these instructions to his disciple, that great ascetic of good vows, moved by compassion, sent him to King Parīkṣit.

1.38.14 Having enjoined him to convey greetings and also to recount the entire matter, he sent the disciple named Gauramukha, a virtuous and composed man.

1.38.15 Quickly approaching the king, the enhancer of the Kuru line, and first being announced by the doorkeepers, he entered the royal palace.

1.38.16 After being duly honoured by the king, the brahmin Gauramukha, having rested, related everything in full to the king — the terrible message of Śamīka just as it was spoken — in the presence of the ministers.

1.38.17 "There lives in your realm, O king of kings, a sage named Śamīka — one of supreme righteous soul, self-restrained, calm, and of great austerity.

1.38.18 O tiger among men, O best of the Bhāratas, a serpent robbed of life was placed by you on his shoulder with the tip of your bow. He himself forgave your act, but his son could not endure it.

1.38.19 You have been cursed by him, O king, without his father's knowledge: Takṣaka shall be your death within seven nights.

1.38.20 'Protect yourself in this matter,' he said again and again; yet it cannot be made otherwise by anyone at all.

1.38.21 For he could not restrain his son overcome by anger; therefore I have been sent by him for your welfare, O king.

1.38.22 Hearing that terrible news, the king, delight of the Kurus, was tormented with remorse for having committed that wrong — the king of great penance.

1.38.23 And hearing that the great sage had been observing a vow of silence, the king's heart was again burned with grief.

1.38.24 Recognising too the compassionate nature of Śamīka, he was tormented yet further for having committed that offence against the sage.

1.38.25 For the king did not grieve so much upon hearing of his impending death as he — who was like an immortal — lamented having committed that deed.

1.38.26 The king then sent Gauramukha back with the message: "May the revered one be gracious to me."

1.38.27 And as soon as Gauramukha had departed, the king, with an agitated mind, deliberated with his ministers.

1.38.28 Having decided, together with his ministers, and being expert in the essence of counsel, he had a palace built on a single pillar, well-guarded.

1.38.29 He stationed guards there, as well as physicians with medicines, and brahmins accomplished in mantras, on all sides.

1.38.30 Residing there, he conducted all affairs of state, learned in dharma, and guarded on all sides together with his ministers.

1.38.31 But on the seventh day arriving, O best of brahmins, the learned Kāśyapa came to treat that king.

1.38.32 For it had come to his hearing that today Takṣaka, foremost of serpents, would conduct that best of kings to the abode of Yama.

1.38.33 Thinking to himself: "I shall cure him after he is bitten by the lord of serpents — in that I shall find both profit and merit," he went forth.

1.38.34 But the king of serpents Takṣaka saw Kāśyapa going along the road with single-pointed mind, and assuming the form of a brahmin of advanced age,

1.38.35 the lord of serpents addressed Kāśyapa, foremost of sages: "Where does the venerable one hasten, and what task does he wish to accomplish?"

1.38.36 Kāśyapa said: Takṣaka, foremost of serpents, will today burn with his blazing power the king Parīkṣit, born of the Kuru lineage, the subduer of foes.

1.38.37 Him, bitten by that lord of serpents whose energy equals fire, that king of boundless might, the upholder of the Pāṇḍava lineage — I go, dear one, in haste to cure forthwith.

1.38.38 Takṣaka said: I am that Takṣaka, O brahmin; I shall burn that lord of the earth. Turn back — you are not able to cure one bitten by me.

1.38.39 Kāśyapa said: O serpent, it is my firm conviction that I shall cure that king after he has been bitten by you, relying on the power of my knowledge.

1.39.1 Takṣaka said: If you are able to cure one bitten by me here, then revive this tree that I have bitten, O Kāśyapa.

1.39.2 Display the utmost power of your mantras and exert yourself; I shall burn this banyan tree before your eyes, O foremost of brahmins.

1.39.3 Kāśyapa said: Bite, O king of serpents, whatever tree you have in mind; I shall revive it after you have bitten it, O serpent.

1.39.4 The Sūta said: Thus addressed by the great-souled Kāśyapa, that foremost of serpents, the lord of serpents, approached and bit a banyan tree.

1.39.5 That tree, bitten by him of great brilliance, immediately burst into flames on all sides, suffused with the venom of the poison-fanged serpent.

1.39.6 Having burned that tree, the serpent again addressed Kāśyapa: "Make the effort, O best of brahmins; revive this lord of the forest."

1.39.7 Then, the tree having been reduced to ash by the power of the king of serpents, Kāśyapa gathered all the ash and spoke these words:

1.39.8 "Behold the power of my knowledge upon this lord of the forest, O king of serpents; I shall revive it before your eyes, O serpent."

1.39.9 Then that blessed and learned Kāśyapa, best of brahmins, revived the tree that had been reduced to a heap of ash, by means of his knowledge.

1.39.10 He caused it first to sprout, then to bear two leaves, then to put forth foliage and branches, and then to become a full tree once again.

1.39.11 Seeing the tree restored to life by the great-souled Kāśyapa, Takṣaka said: "O brahmin, this is exceedingly wondrous in you.

1.39.12 O lord of brahmins, you who could neutralise the venom of one like me — what purpose do you seek to gain by going there, O treasury of austerity?

1.39.13 Whatever fruit you desire to obtain from that best of kings, I myself will give you that, even if it be difficult to obtain.

1.39.14 For in the case of a king whose life is waning, overwhelmed by a brahmin's curse, even your best efforts may meet with uncertain success, O brahmin.

1.39.15 And then your fame, blazing and renowned throughout the three worlds, would vanish from here like a sunbeam robbed of its rays.

1.39.16 Kāśyapa said: I go there in desire of wealth — give me that, O serpent; then I shall return home, O best of serpents.

1.39.17 Takṣaka said: I will give you today more than whatever wealth you would seek from that king — turn back, O foremost of brahmins.

1.39.18 The Sūta said: Hearing the words of Takṣaka, that brilliant and wise Kāśyapa, best of brahmins, reflected deeply about the king.

1.39.19 That brilliant one endowed with divine knowledge, having understood that the king, the descendant of Pāṇḍu, had then exhausted his span of life, the sage Kāśyapa turned back — having obtained from Takṣaka as much wealth as he desired.

1.39.20 When that great-souled Kāśyapa had turned away at that moment, Takṣaka swiftly went to the city named after the serpents — Hāstinapura.

1.39.21 And as he went, Takṣaka heard that the lord of the earth was being carefully protected by means of charms, antidotes, and poison-neutralizing medicines.

1.39.22 He then reflected: "By what stratagem of illusion can I deceive this king? What means might there be?"

1.39.23 Then the serpent Takṣaka, taking fruits, leaves, and water, sent other snakes in the guise of ascetics to the king.

1.39.24 Takṣaka said: "Go to the king calmly, on the pretext of a mission, and have the king accept these — fruits, leaves, and water."

1.39.25 The Sūta said: Those snakes, instructed by Takṣaka, did exactly so — they presented to the king darbha grass, water, and fruits.

1.39.26 The mighty king of kings accepted all of it, and having attended to their business, he said to them: "You may go."

1.39.27 When those snakes in the disguise of ascetics had departed, the lord of men spoke to his ministers and friends.

1.39.28 "Let all of you eat these sweet fruits that the ascetics have brought — together with me."

1.39.29 Then the king along with his minister went to take the fruits. In the fruit taken by the king there appeared a tiny worm — small, dark-eyed, and copper-colored, O Śaunaka.

1.39.30 Taking it up, that foremost of kings said to his ministers: "The sun is setting; today I no longer have any fear of poison."

1.39.31 "Let that sage's words prove true — let this little worm bite me, becoming Takṣaka by name; in that way the prophecy shall be fulfilled."

1.39.32 And those ministers followed his lead, driven by fate. Having spoken thus, that king of kings placed the little worm on his neck, laughed aloud, and swiftly he who was near death lost consciousness.

1.39.33 Still laughing, he was coiled by Takṣaka in serpent form, who had emerged from that very fruit — the one that had been presented to the king.

1.40.1 The Sūta said: Seeing him thus encoiled by the serpent, all the ministers, their faces gone pale, wept, overwhelmed with grief.

1.40.2 Hearing that cry, those ministers fled in all directions, and they saw the wondrous serpent moving through the sky.

1.40.3 Overwhelmed with sorrow, they saw Takṣaka, that foremost of serpents, of lotus-like radiance, streaking across the sky as if parting it in two.

1.40.4 Then, as the serpent's venom set the palace ablaze and it burned, they abandoned it in fear and fled in all directions; and it fell like a tree struck by lightning.

1.40.5 When the king was slain by the power of Takṣaka, the pure brahmin who was the royal chaplain, and likewise all the ministers of that king, performed all the rites for the other world.

1.40.6 All the people of the city assembled and made his young son king — that hero of the Kurus whom they called the destroyer of enemies: Janamejaya.

1.40.7 Even as a child, that foremost of kings, noble-minded and pre-eminent among the bulls of the Kuru line, governed the kingdom together with those ministers and the royal priest, just as his valiant great-grandfather had done.

1.40.8 Then the ministers of that king, seeing him as the scorcher of enemies, approached the Kāśi king Suvarṇavarman and sued for Vapuṣṭamā on his behalf.

1.40.9 Then that king, having examined the match by dharmic standards, gave Vapuṣṭamā to that hero of the Kurus; and the hero, having obtained her, was filled with joy, and never again set his mind on any other woman.

1.40.10 The valiant one sported with a cheerful heart in lakes full of blooms and in forests; that best of kings disported himself just as Purūravas of old had done upon obtaining Urvaśī.

1.40.11 And Vapuṣṭamā too, having obtained that excellent and handsome lord of the earth as husband, delighted him with her love; that beauty of the inner quarters was his joy in all his hours of pleasure.

1.41.1 The Sūta said: At this very time, the sage Jaratkāru of great austerities, who had no fixed home, wandered over the entire earth, sleeping wherever evening found him.

1.41.2 Of great splendor, practising a severe vow of initiation impossible for the undisciplined, he wandered among sacred tirthas, bathing at each holy site.

1.41.3 Living on air alone, taking no food, the sage drying up day by day — he saw his ancestors hanging head-downward in a pit.

1.41.4 They were clinging to a clump of vīraṇa grass of which only a single stalk remained, and a rat that lived in the burrow below was slowly gnawing at that stalk.

1.41.5 Those without food, emaciated and wretched, hanging in the pit and longing for rescue — he approached those miserable ones, himself appearing wretched, and addressed them.

1.41.6 "Who are you, clinging to this clump of vīraṇa grass, now weak because its roots are being eaten by the rat that dwells in the burrow?"

1.41.7 "Even the one root of this vīraṇa clump that still remains here, this rat is slowly taking away with its sharp teeth."

1.41.8 "Because so little remains, even this will be severed before long; then you will fall head-downward into this very pit."

1.41.9 "Seeing you hanging head-downward and fallen into this dire calamity, grief has arisen in me. What good may I do for you?"

1.41.10 "Tell me without delay whether I can rescue you from this calamity with a quarter, or a third, or even half of my austerities."

1.41.11 "Or perhaps all of you may cross over this difficulty by means of the whole of my austerities — let it be arranged as you wish."

1.41.12 The ancestors said: You are a prosperous celibate student who desires to save us here; but, O foremost of brahmins, this cannot be removed by austerity alone.

1.41.13 "We have the fruit of our austerities, O son, O best among the eloquent; but, O brahmin, we are falling into an impure hell because our lineage is dying out."

1.41.14 "As we hang here, O son, understanding does not come to us — we do not recognize you, though your valor is renowned in the world."

1.41.15 "You are prosperous and greatly blessed; out of compassion you have come and grieve for us who are pitiable and deeply pained. Hear who we are, O brahmin."

1.41.16 "We are the sages called the Yāyāvaras, of sharp vows; we have fallen from the meritorious worlds into this place because our line is dying, O lord."

1.41.17 "Our meritorious austerities are being destroyed, for we have no thread of lineage. There is one thread left to us today, yet it is as good as gone."

1.41.18 "He who is the kinsman of the wretched in our family is himself unfortunate — known as Jaratkāru, versed in the Vedas and their auxiliaries, self-controlled, great-souled, of excellent vows, and of very great austerities."

1.41.19 "By his greed for austerity we have been brought to this calamity. He has no wife, no son, no kinsman whatsoever."

1.41.20 "That is why we hang in this pit, our senses lost, like those without a protector. You, having seen our plight, should speak to him on our behalf so that we may have a guardian."

1.41.21 "'Your fathers hang wretched and head-downward in a pit — take a wife and beget offspring, O lord.' For you alone, O wealth of austerity, remain as the single thread of our lineage."

1.41.22 "This clump of vīraṇa grass to which you see us clinging, O brahmin — this was our family-stalk, the one that was to have enlarged our line."

1.41.23 "These roots of this plant that you see here, O brahmin — these are our lineage-threads, O son, consumed by time."

1.41.24 "And that root of it which you see half-gnawed away — to that we all cling; he too is the sole one, and he has taken to austerity."

1.41.25 "The rat you see, O brahmin — that is mighty Time itself; it slowly gnaws and wears away that one devoted to austerities — Jaratkāru, the witless, small-minded one, whose mind is consumed by his greed for austerity."

1.41.26 "For his austerity will not save us, O noble one — we whose roots are cut, who are utterly fallen, whose minds are struck by Time; behold us, destined for hell as though we were evildoers."

1.41.27 "When we have fallen here along with the forefathers before us, he too, cut off by Time, will then go to hell."

1.41.28 "Austerity, or sacrifice, or whatever other great purification there may be — none of it equals progeny: such is the opinion of the good, O son."

1.41.29 "Having seen this, O son, you should speak to the ascetic Jaratkāru; and what you have seen here must be told to him in full."

1.41.30 "So that he may take a wife and beget sons — in that manner, O brahmin, you must address him on our behalf, that we may have a guardian."

1.42.1 The Sūta said: Hearing this, Jaratkāru, overwhelmed with pain and sorrow, spoke to his own ancestors in a voice choked with tears out of grief.

1.42.2 "I am that very Jaratkāru — the sinful son who is your offspring. Mete out your punishment to me, the ill-doer, the undisciplined one."

1.42.3 The ancestors said: O son, by good fortune you have arrived at this place by chance. But why, O brahmin, have you not taken a wife?

1.42.4 Jaratkāru said: This thought, O fathers, has always revolved in my heart: as an upward-semened celibate I would convey this body to the next world.

1.42.5 "But having seen you hanging thus like birds, O forefathers, my mind has been turned away from celibacy."

1.42.6 "I will do what you wish and take a wife — there is no doubt in this — if ever I shall find a maiden who shares my name."

1.42.7 "And she who is freely offered, as if in alms — I will accept her; but one whom I would have to maintain, her I will not take."

1.42.8 "If I can find such a match, I will enter householder life; otherwise I will not — this is my truth, O forefathers."

1.42.9 The Sūta said: Having thus spoken to his ancestors, the sage wandered the earth; yet he found no wife, O Śaunaka, for people said: "This one is too old."

1.42.10 When he had fallen into despondency, yet urged on by his ancestors as well, he went into a forest and cried out loudly in deep anguish.

1.42.11 "Whatever beings there are in this place — moving or unmoving, or those that are hidden — let them hear my words."

1.42.12 "My ancestors, though I abide in fierce austerity, urge me in their distress: 'Take a wife.' Desiring to do what is dear to them, I speak."

1.42.13 "I wander the entire earth seeking a maiden given as alms for the purpose of establishing a household; I am a poor man, of a sorrowful nature, set to this task by my ancestors."

1.42.14 "Whatever being has a maiden among those I have here proclaimed — let them give her to me as I roam in all directions."

1.42.15 "Let them give me that maiden who shares my name and who is offered as if in alms, and whom I will not have to maintain — give me that maiden."

1.42.16 Then the serpents who were attentive to Jaratkāru's affairs took that intelligence and reported it to Vāsuki.

1.42.17 Hearing their report, that lord of serpents took that maiden adorned with ornaments and went with her into the forest, to the vicinity of that sage.

1.42.18 There Vāsuki, the king of serpents, offered that maiden to that great-souled one as if in alms; but O brahmin, he did not accept her.

1.42.19 He thought her name was not the same as his; and with the question of maintenance unresolved, being one who stood in a state of liberation, he was of two minds about accepting.

1.42.20 Then he asked the name of the maiden, O joy of the Bhṛgu line, and he said to Vāsuki: "I will not maintain her."

1.43.1 The Sūta said: Then Vāsuki spoke these words to the sage Jaratkāru: "This maiden is your namesake — she is my sister, endowed with austerities."

1.43.2 "I will maintain your wife — accept her, O foremost of twice-born; and I will protect her with all my power, O treasure of austerity."

1.43.3 When the serpent had promised "I will maintain my sister," Jaratkāru then went to the dwelling of the serpent.

1.43.4 There, that foremost knower of mantras, great in austerity, of mighty vows, righteous-souled, took her hand according to the prescribed rites preceded by sacred formulas.

1.43.5 Then, taking his wife and praised by great sages, he went to the bright dwelling sanctioned by the lord of serpents.

1.43.6 There a bed was prepared, covered with splendid coverings; and there Jaratkāru dwelt together with his wife.

1.43.7 That best of men made a covenant with his wife there: "What is displeasing to me must never be done, nor ever spoken."

1.43.8 "For if you displease me, I shall abandon you and leave this house of yours. Take to heart this word I have now spoken."

1.43.9 Then the sister of the serpent lord, deeply agitated and filled with great sorrow, said to him: "So be it."

1.43.10 And that illustrious woman, ever wishing to please him, tended her difficult-tempered husband by every cautious and discreet means.

1.43.11 Then once, after her purificatory bath at the proper season, the sister of Vāsuki duly approached her husband, the great sage.

1.43.12 Then within her a child was conceived, blazing like fire, endowed with great ascetic power, brilliant as Vaiśvānara; and it grew like the moon in the bright fortnight.

1.43.13 Then after some days Jaratkāru of great austerity, resting his head in her lap, fell into deep sleep as though exhausted.

1.43.14 And while that foremost of brahmins slept, the sun moved toward its setting mountain at the close of the day, O brahmin; then Vāsuki's sister, that wise woman, became fearful of a lapse in religious duty and began to reflect.

1.43.15 "Would it be right for me to wake my husband, or not? He is righteous yet difficult-tempered — how can I not offend him?"

1.43.16 "Either the wrath of this righteous man, or else a lapse in his religious duty — a lapse in religious duty is certainly the graver of the two": thus she resolved in her mind.

1.43.17 "If I wake him, he will certainly be angry; but if the twilight prayer is missed, there will certainly be a breach of his religious duty."

1.43.18 Having thus resolved in her mind, that serpent-woman Jaratkāru, the sweet-spoken one, gently addressed the reclining sage of blazing austerity in these words.

1.43.19 "Arise, O greatly blessed one — the sun is setting. O lord, touch water and observe the twilight worship, you who are strict in your vows."

1.43.20 "This is the hour when the fire-sacrifice is kindled, both lovely and awesome; and now the twilight prayer begins in the western quarter, O master."

1.43.21 Thus addressed, the venerable Jaratkāru of great austerity, his lips quivering, spoke these words to his wife.

1.43.22 "This is an insult you have offered me, O serpent-woman. I will not stay with you any longer; I shall go the way I came."

1.43.23 "For it is my firm conviction that while I sleep, the sun Vibhāvasu has no power to set at its proper time, O fair-thighed one."

1.43.24 "Nor would it please anyone who has been insulted to remain here — least of all one of righteous conduct such as I, of my disposition."

1.43.25 When Jaratkāru was thus addressed by her husband, Vāsuki's sister spoke with a trembling heart in that dwelling.

1.43.26 "It was not out of disrespect that I woke you; I did this so that there might be no breach of your religious duty, O brahmin."

1.43.27 Thus addressed by his wife, the great sage Jaratkāru of mighty austerity, seized by anger and resolved to abandon the serpent-woman, spoke.

1.43.28 "My word does not speak falsehood — I shall depart, O serpent-woman. For this was the covenant I made with you from the beginning."

1.43.29 "I have dwelt here in happiness, O auspicious one. Tell your brother, O timid one: 'That venerable one has departed from here.' And after I have gone, you too should not grieve."

1.43.30 Thus addressed, the blameless-limbed Jaratkāru, overwhelmed with worry and grief, replied to her husband Jaratkāru.

1.43.31 With a voice choked with tears, a face pale and dry, eyes brimming with tears, hands folded in supplication, that woman of fair limbs steadied herself with composure though her heart was trembling.

1.43.32 "O knower of dharma, you should not abandon me who am without fault, who stands firm in dharma, who is ever devoted to your welfare and happiness."

1.43.33 "And the purpose for which I was given to you, O best of twice-born ones — if I have not achieved that, what will Vāsuki say to wretched me?"

1.43.34 "The offspring longed for from you for the sake of my kinsmen who are oppressed by their mother's curse, O excellent one — that too has not yet come to be seen."

1.43.35 "Through the gaining of offspring from you, wellbeing would come to my kinsmen; let not this union with you be fruitless for me, O twice-born one."

1.43.36 "Wishing the welfare of my kinsmen, O venerable one, I entreat you — having planted in me this child whose form is not yet manifest, O best of men, how can you, being a great soul, wish to abandon me who am without fault?"

1.43.37 Thus addressed, the sage Jaratkāru, wealth of austerity, spoke an apt and fitting word to his wife.

1.43.38 "This child exists within you, O fortunate one, comparable to Vaiśvānara — a seer of supreme righteousness, versed in the Vedas and all their branches."

1.43.39 Having spoken thus, that righteous-souled great sage Jaratkāru, firmly resolved, departed again for severe austerities.

1.44.1 The Sūta said: As soon as her husband had departed, Jaratkāru quickly came to her brother and told him the truth of what had happened, O wealth of austerity.

1.44.2 Then that foremost of serpents, having heard the deeply grievous news, spoke to his dejected sister, himself more dejected still.

1.44.3 "You know, dear one, what purpose was to be served and the reason you were given — whether a son would be born to you from him for the welfare of the serpents."

1.44.4 "That valiant one will surely rescue us from the serpent sacrifice — so did the grandfather formerly tell me, together with the gods."

1.44.5 "Is there indeed a child in you from that best of sages, O fortunate one? I do not want the act of marriage of that wise one to have been fruitless."

1.44.6 "Indeed it is not proper for me to question you on such a matter; but because the urgency of the task is paramount, I have thus pressed you."

1.44.7 "Knowing the difficult nature of your husband, that most austere one, I will not go after him — for he might curse me."

1.44.8 "Tell me, dear one, everything your husband did. Remove this terrible thorn that has long been lodged in my heart, O dear one."

1.44.9 Then Jaratkāru, thus addressed, replied with words comforting the afflicted Vāsuki, lord of serpents.

1.44.10 "When I asked him for the sake of offspring, that great soul of mighty austerity said 'it exists,' pointing to my womb, and then he departed."

1.44.11 "Even in casual speech I do not recall him ever saying anything false — how then, O king, would he speak falsely in a matter of such consequence?"

1.44.12 "You must not grieve regarding the purpose, O serpent lord — your nephew will be born, blazing with the radiance of fire and sun."

1.44.13 "Having said this to me, O brother, my husband went to the forest of austerities; therefore let this great sorrow that lodges in your mind depart."

1.44.14 Having heard this, that lord of serpents Vāsuki accepted his sister's words with great joy, saying "So be it."

1.44.15 That foremost of serpents honored his sister born of the same womb with comforting words, gifts, and fitting reverence.

1.44.16 Then that child of mighty radiance, brilliant as the sun, grew in the womb — like the moon risen in the bright fortnight in the sky, O foremost of twice-born ones.

1.44.17 In due time, O brahmin, that sister of the serpent gave birth to a boy who resembled the embryo of a god, the remover of his father's and mother's fear.

1.44.18 And he grew up there in the dwelling of the serpent king; he mastered the Vedas along with their branches from the Bhārgava, the son of Cyavana.

1.44.19 Even as a boy he observed his vows, endowed with wisdom, courage, and virtue; and his name became known throughout the worlds as Āstīka.

1.44.20 Because his father departed for the forest saying 'it exists' even while he was still in the womb, therefore his name became celebrated as Āstīka.

1.44.21 While still a boy he moved about there, that one of boundless intellect, carefully guarded and protected in the house of the serpent king.

1.44.22 Growing up like the venerable lord of the gods, the trident-bearer, the bestower of gold, he filled all those serpents with joy.

1.45.1 Śaunaka said: What king Janamejaya then asked his ministers regarding his father's passing to heaven — tell me that again in full.

1.45.2 The Sūta said: Listen, O brahmin, to how the ministers, being questioned by the king, all narrated the death of Parīkṣit.

1.45.3 Janamejaya said: You gentlemen know how my father conducted himself and how that greatly renowned one met his death in due time.

1.45.4 "For having heard from you the full account of my father's life and conduct, I shall pursue what is good and never what is contrary to it."

1.45.5 The Sūta said: Then the ministers, questioned by that great-souled one, those learned men versed in all dharma, spoke their words to king Janamejaya.

1.45.6 "Your father was righteous-souled, great-souled, a protector of his subjects — hear how that great soul conducted himself here."

1.45.7 "That king, knowing dharma, protected the four social orders established in their own duties, ruling righteously — as though dharma incarnate."

1.45.8 "That glorious one of incomparable valor protected this noble earth; he had no enemies, nor did he hate anyone — equal to all beings, he was like Prajāpati himself."

1.45.9 "Brahmins, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, each established in their proper duties and contented in mind, O king, were well governed by that king."

1.45.10 "He cared for widows, the helpless, the wretched, and the disabled; that fair-looking one was like a second moon to all beings."

1.45.11 "His people were content and well-fed; that glorious king was true of speech and firm in valor; he was a student of the science of archery under Śāradvatī's son."

1.45.12 "Your father was dear to Govinda, O Janamejaya, and that greatly renowned one was dear to all the world."

1.45.13 "When the Kurus were all but extinct, he was born of Uttarā; through him, that mighty son of Saubhadra's line, Parīkṣit came to be."

1.45.14 "Skilled in royal dharma and statecraft, endowed with every virtue, that king had conquered his senses, was self-possessed, intelligent, and attended upon by elders."

1.45.15 "Master of the six categories, of great intellect, supremely versed in policy and dharma — your father protected these subjects for sixty years, then met his fated end, which could not be turned aside, through a serpent."

1.45.16 "Then you, O best of men, rightfully obtained this kingdom that has come down through the Kuru lineage — you were born noble, a protector of all beings, even as a child."

1.45.17 Janamejaya said: In this family there never was a king who was not a benefactor and beloved of his subjects — as one sees by looking at the great conduct of our forefathers who were utterly devoted to right conduct.

1.45.18 "How did such a father of mine meet his death? Tell me truly; I wish to hear it in full."

1.45.19 The Sūta said: Thus urged by the king, all those ministers, devoted to the welfare of their lord, spoke the full account to the king.

1.45.20 "Your father, O king, was always fond of the hunt, like the greatly blessed Pāṇḍu — the foremost of bow-bearers in battle — entrusting all royal affairs entirely to us."

1.45.21 "Once, while roaming the forest, he pierced a deer with an arrow, and after wounding it, he swiftly pursued that deer into the dense jungle."

1.45.22 "Going on foot, sword belted at his side, quiver of arrows strapped on, your father could not find the deer that had vanished in the thicket."

1.45.23 "Exhausted, advanced in years, sixty years old and feeling the weight of age, and hungry, he spotted a sage close by in the great forest."

1.45.24 That king, best among kings, questioned the sage who was bound by a vow of silence; but the sage did not say anything to him, even though he was being asked.

1.45.25 Then the king, exhausted by hunger and fatigue, came immediately under the sway of anger toward that sage who stood like a post, observing his vow of silence, calm and quiet.

1.45.26 Indeed the king did not understand that the sage was observing a vow of silence; possessed by anger, your father insulted him.

1.45.27 Lifting a dead serpent from the ground with the tip of his bow, he placed it on the shoulder of that pure-souled one, O best of the Bhāratas.

1.45.28 But that wise sage said nothing to him — neither good nor ill — he remained just as he was, neither angry, carrying the serpent on his shoulder.

1.46.1 The ministers said: Then that king, O best of kings, having placed the serpent on the shoulder of the sage — emaciated as he was from hunger — returned again to his own city.

1.46.2 But that sage had a son, born of a cow, of great fame, named Śṛṅgī, of great radiance, fierce in energy, and extremely wrathful.

1.46.3 The sage had gone to pay homage to Brahman; having paid his respects and been given leave, Śṛṅgī went there, and at that point he heard from a friend that his father had been insulted by your father in that manner.

1.46.4 That his father was carrying on his shoulder a dead serpent placed there by your father, O Janamejaya, O tiger among the Kurus — the father who had done no wrong.

1.46.5 A great ascetic, the foremost of sages, O king, one who had conquered the senses, pure, and engaged in wondrous action,

1.46.6 whose soul blazed with austerity, who was restrained in his own limbs, of auspicious conduct, of auspicious speech, perfectly steadfast and free from greed,

1.46.7 not petty, without envy, aged, abiding in the vow of silence, a refuge for all beings — such a one had been wronged by your father.

1.46.8 Having heard this, he cursed your father, filled with fury — the son of the sage, of great radiance, though a boy yet superior to elders.

1.46.9 Quickly touching water, he spoke these words in rage, blazing as it were with his fiery energy, directed against your father:

1.46.10 "He who placed a dead serpent on my innocent teacher — Takṣaka the serpent, in wrath, shall lay him low with his venom within seven nights from now. Wicked man, behold the power of my austerity!"

1.46.11 Having spoken thus, he went to where his father was; and having seen his father, he reported to him that curse.

1.46.12 And that tiger among sages also sent a messenger to your father: "You have been cursed by my son — be on your guard, O lord of the earth; Takṣaka, O great king, will lay you low with his venom."

1.46.13 Hearing those terrible words, your father, O Janamejaya, was on his guard, terrified of Takṣaka, the foremost of serpents.

1.46.14 Then when the seventh day arrived, the brahmarṣi Kāśyapa wished to go to the king's presence.

1.46.15 Then Takṣaka, lord of serpents, saw Kāśyapa and spoke to him as he was hurrying on his way: "Where does your honour go in such haste, and what deed does he intend to perform?"

1.46.16 Kāśyapa said: There where the king, best of the Kurus, known as Parīkṣit, is to be burned by the serpent Takṣaka — that is where I am going, O twice-born one.

1.46.17 I go to him quickly to cure him at once of his affliction; one protected by me — the serpent shall not harm him.

1.46.18 Takṣaka said: Why do you wish to revive the one bitten by me? Tell me your desire — I will grant it to you today; go to your own home.

1.46.19 The ministers said: He replied to him that he was going there out of desire for wealth; and Takṣaka, honouring that great-souled one, addressed him with conciliatory words:

1.46.20 "Whatever wealth you desire from that king, take even more than that from me and turn back, O sinless one."

1.46.21 Thus addressed by the serpent, Kāśyapa, best among two-footed beings, having received from Takṣaka as much wealth as he desired, turned back.

1.46.22 After the brahmin departed, Takṣaka, approaching in disguise, that king — best of kings, your righteous father —

1.46.23 though he was on guard in his palace, burned him with the fire of his venom; then you, O tiger among men, were consecrated to victory.

1.46.24 All this, seen and heard by us in full, O best of kings, we have related to you in its entirety — this most terrible thing.

1.46.25 Having heard of this overthrow of the king, O best of rulers, and of this sage Uttaṅka as well, decide now what is to follow.

1.46.26 Janamejaya said: I wish to hear this — what was then the conversation between the lord of serpents and Kāśyapa in the lonely forest wilderness.

1.46.27 By whom was it seen and heard, and how did it reach your ears? Having heard it, I shall then resolve upon a course of action to destroy the serpents.

1.46.28 The ministers said: Listen, O king, as to how this was told to us before — the encounter on the road between the lord of twice-born ones and the lord of serpents.

1.46.29 On that tree, O lord of the earth, some man had previously climbed in search of firewood, to gather dry branches from the forest tree; the serpent and the twice-born one did not notice him sitting there in that tree.

1.46.30 He was reduced to ashes along with that very tree; but by the power of the twice-born one, O best of kings, he was restored to life together with the forest tree.

1.46.31 He went and reported to this city, O best of kings, all that had happened — the entire account of Takṣaka and the twice-born one.

1.46.32 This has been told to you, O king, exactly as it occurred and as we heard it; having heard it, O tiger among kings, do now as you desire.

1.46.33 The Sūta said: Having heard the words of the ministers, king Janamejaya was tormented with grief; afflicted with sorrow, he wrung his hands.

1.46.34 Repeatedly he exhaled long hot sighs; the lotus-eyed king shed tears continuously from both eyes; and the lord of the earth, overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, spoke:

1.46.35 "Having heard these words of yours regarding my father's passage to heaven, my resolve is firm — hear what it is from me.

1.46.36 I think that retribution must follow immediately against the wicked-souled Takṣaka, by whom my father was harmed.

1.46.37 For had that wicked one, after fulfilling the words of the sage Śṛṅgin and burning the king, gone away — surely my father would be alive.

1.46.38 What would have been lost to him if that king had lived, by the grace of Kāśyapa and by the good counsel of the ministers?

1.46.39 But he, out of delusion, turned away Kāśyapa, the best of twice-born ones, who had come to revive the invincible king.

1.46.40 This is a great transgression by the wicked-souled Takṣaka — that he gave wealth to the brahmin so that the king might not be revived.

1.46.41 Doing what is dear to Uttaṅka, what is greatly dear to myself, and dear to all of you — I shall take vengeance for my father."

1.47.1 The Sūta said: Having spoken thus, that glorious king, approved by his ministers, O brahmin, then undertook the vow for the snake sacrifice — that tiger of the Bhāratas, king Pārikṣita Janamejaya.

1.47.2 Having summoned the household priest and the sacrificial priests, the lord of the earth, gifted in speech, uttered words that were purposeful and apt:

1.47.3 "That evil-minded Takṣaka who harmed my father — how I may retaliate against him: tell me that, gentlemen.

1.47.4 Is the method known to you by which I may bring Takṣaka, the serpent, together with his kinsmen, into the blazing fire?

1.47.5 Just as my father was formerly burned by him with the fire of venom, so too do I wish to burn that wicked serpent."

1.47.6 The priests said: There exists, O king, a great sacrifice ordained by the gods for your purpose; it is known as the Sarpasatra — the snake sacrifice — and is spoken of in the Purāṇas, O king.

1.47.7 "You and no other are the one to perform that sacrifice, O lord of men" — so the Purāṇic authorities declare; and that rite is within our knowledge."

1.47.8 The Sūta said: Thus addressed, that royal seer imagined the serpent Takṣaka already entered into the blazing mouth of the fire god, O good one.

1.47.9 Then the king, knower of sacred formulas, said to those brahmins: "I shall perform that sacrifice — let the materials be assembled for me."

1.47.10 Then those priests of his, O best of twice-born ones, measured out the ground according to scripture for the purpose of establishing the sacrificial site; all of them were knowers of sacred science, their minds reaching the highest wisdom.

1.47.11 It was endowed with supreme prosperity, delightful, thronged with multitudes of twice-born ones, abundantly rich in wealth and grain, well laid out by the officiating priests.

1.47.12 Having properly constructed the desired sacrificial ground according to rule, they then initiated the king for the attainment of the snake sacrifice.

1.47.13 And there had arisen previously at that snake sacrifice a great portent — a sign that an obstacle to the sacrifice would come.

1.47.14 When the sacrificial ground was being laid out, the master-builder, endowed with intelligence and learned in the science of architecture, spoke these words:

1.47.15 Thus spoke the master-builder, the versed narrator of Purāṇas at that time: "In the place and at the time when this measuring was initiated, owing to a brahmin being the cause, this sacrifice will not be completed."

1.47.16 Having heard this, the king said to the doorkeeper before the time of his initiation: "Let no one unknown to me enter here."

1.47.17 Then the work of the snake sacrifice began according to rule, and the officiating priests went about properly, each in his own assigned duty.

1.47.18 Having put on dark garments, their eyes reddened by smoke, they poured oblations with sacred formulas into the well-kindled fire.

1.47.19 Causing the minds of all serpents to tremble, they summoned all the snakes there into the mouth of fire.

1.47.20 Then the serpents fell into the blazing sacrificial fire, writhing pitifully, calling out to one another.

1.47.21 Some wriggling, others hissing, others coiling — they entered the fire of many colours head-first and tail-first repeatedly.

1.47.22 White ones, black ones, and blue ones — old and young alike — uttering terrible cries, they fell into the blazing fire.

1.47.23 In this way hundreds of thousands, millions, and tens of millions of serpents were helplessly destroyed, O best of twice-born ones.

1.47.24 Some were there like elephants with their trunks, others with limbs like elephant trunks, others like maddened elephants — all of great body and great strength.

1.47.25 Many of various sizes, of diverse colours, teeming with venom, terrible, like iron clubs, great serpents of great strength — all fell into the fire, tormented by the rod of their mother's words.

1.48.1 Śaunaka said: At that snake sacrifice of the wise king Janamejaya, descendant of the Pāṇḍavas, who were the officiating priests — the greatest of sages?

1.48.2 Who were the attending sages at that dreadful snake sacrifice — so exceedingly producing despair, in that great terror for the serpents?

1.48.3 You ought to relate everything in detail, dear one — for you are known as knowledgeable in the procedure of the snake sacrifice, O son of the Sūta.

1.48.4 The Sūta said: Come, I shall tell you here the names of the wise men who were the officiating priests and attending sages of that king at that time.

1.48.5 There the Hotā priest was the brahmin Caṇḍabhārgava, born in the lineage of Cyavana, renowned as the best among knowers of the Veda.

1.48.6 The Udgātā was the aged and learned brahmin Kautsāryajaimini; the Brahman priest was Śārṅgarava, and the Adhvaryu was Bodhapiṅgala.

1.48.7 Among the attending sages was Vyāsa, accompanied by his sons and disciples; Uddālaka; Śamaṭhaka; and Śvetaketu as the fifth.

1.48.8 Asita and Devala; Nārada and Parvata likewise; Ātreya; the twice-born Kuṇḍajaṭhara; and Kuṭighaṭa as well.

1.48.9 Vātsya; the aged Śrutaśravā, devoted to austerity and self-study; Kahoḍa; Devaśarmā; Maudgalya; and Śamasaubhara.

1.48.10 These and many other Brāhmaṇas of keen vows were the assembly-members at the snake-sacrifice of the son of Parīkṣit.

1.48.11 As the priests were offering oblations at that great rite, the snake-sacrifice, terrible serpents fell there, striking terror into all living creatures.

1.48.12 Streams of fat and marrow flowed from the serpents; and continuously, day and night, a tumultuous smell of burning rose from those that were being consumed.

1.48.13 The sound of those serpents falling and of those hovering in the sky was heard incessantly, as they were consumed with great intensity by the fire.

1.48.14 But Takṣaka, that lord of serpents, hearing that king Janamejaya had been consecrated, fled to the abode of Indra, the Destroyer of Pura.

1.48.15 Then, having told everything that had come to pass, that best of serpents, terror-stricken and conscious of his offence, sought refuge with Indra, the Destroyer of Pura.

1.48.16 Indra, greatly pleased, said to him: "O Takṣaka, O lord of serpents, you have nothing to fear here from that snake-sacrifice under any circumstances."

1.48.17 "The Grandsire was formerly propitiated by me on your behalf; therefore you have nothing to fear — let the fever of your mind depart."

1.48.18 Thus reassured by him, that best of serpents then dwelt in Śakra's mansion, joyful and at ease.

1.48.19 As serpents fell ceaselessly into the fire, Vāsuki, with his retinue much reduced, was greatly distressed and burned with anguish.

1.48.20 A terrible stupor seized Vāsuki, lord of serpents; his heart reeling, he spoke thus to his sister:

1.48.21 "My limbs burn, dear sister; the directions are unclear to me; I am as if sinking in confusion, and my mind seems to whirl."

1.48.22 "My vision spins exceedingly, and my heart seems to burst; today I shall fall helplessly into that blazing fire."

1.48.23 "That sacrifice of Parīkṣit's son is proceeding with intent to destroy us; clearly I too must go to the abode of the king of the dead."

1.48.24 "This is the moment for which you, my sister, were given in marriage to Jaratkāru long ago — protect us now together with all our kindred."

1.48.25 "The Grandsire himself previously told me that Āstīka would indeed stop that sacrifice when it was proceeding with the best of serpents as its victim."

1.48.26 "Therefore, dear child, speak today to your own son, that youth revered by the elders, that foremost knower of the Vedas, for the liberation of me and my servants."

1.49.1 The Sūta said: Then Jaratkāru, the female serpent, summoning her own son, spoke these words at the bidding of Vāsuki, king of serpents:

1.49.2 "I was given to your father, my son, by my brother for a purpose; that moment has now arrived — do what is required of you accordingly."

1.49.3 Āstīka said: "For what purpose were you given to my father by my maternal uncle? Tell me the truth of it — having heard, I shall act accordingly."

1.49.4 The Sūta said: Then she, the sister of the king of serpents, Jaratkāru, composed and well-wishing toward her kindred, told him this:

1.49.5 "The mother of all the serpents without exception is known as Kadrū; by her, angered, were her sons cursed — hear the reason for that."

1.49.6 "Uccaiḥśravas, that king of horses — because you did not make him falsely mine in the wager made for Vinatā's sake, my sons, for the sake of enslaving her."

1.49.7 "'At Janamejaya's sacrifice, the fire whose charioteer is the wind shall burn you; meeting dissolution there, you shall go to the world of the dead.'"

1.49.8 "And the Grandsire of the world himself, seeing her who had thus cursed, spoke the words 'So be it' and approved of it."

1.49.9 "And Vāsuki, hearing that word of the Grandsire at the time the nectar was being churned, O dear one, sought the refuge of the gods."

1.49.10 "And all the gods, having attained the peerless nectar and their purpose fulfilled, with my brother at their head, approached Prajāpati."

1.49.11 "All the gods together propitiated the Grandsire along with king Vāsuki, that the curse might not take effect."

1.49.12 "'This Vāsuki, king of serpents, is distressed on account of his kinsmen; let not this curse from his mother come to pass, O Lord.'"

1.49.13 "Brahmā said: 'A twice-born one born to Jaratkāru from the wife named Jaratkāru whom he shall obtain will deliver the serpents from the curse.'"

1.49.14 Jaratkāru said: "Hearing this speech, Vāsuki, lord of serpents, gave me, O one equal to the immortals, to your father, the great-souled one, even before the time came; therein you were born of me."

1.49.15 "This is that moment now arrived — you must rescue us from fear; you must rescue my brother as well from the fire."

1.49.16 "That act of mine would not be in vain — that I was given to your wise father for the sake of liberation. What do you think, my son?"

1.49.17 The Sūta said: Thus addressed, having said "So be it," Āstīka then spoke to his mother and, as if reviving Vāsuki, who was burning with sorrow:

1.49.18 "I will rescue you, O Vāsuki, O best of serpents, from that curse, O great being — this I tell you truly."

1.49.19 "Be of easy mind, O serpent — there is no fear for you. I shall strive in such a way that what is beneficial will come about. My speech has never spoken untruth even in play — how then otherwise?"

1.49.20 "Going to that best of kings, the consecrated Janamejaya, I shall today please him with words full of auspicious praise, O maternal uncle, in such a way that the king's sacrifice will be brought to a close, O noble one."

1.49.21 "O lord of serpents, O great-minded one, place all trust in me — your mind ought never to prove false in regard to me."

1.49.22 Vāsuki said: "Āstīka, I reel all around; my heart is bursting; I do not recognise the directions, crushed as I am by the rod of Brahmā's curse."

1.49.23 Āstīka said: "You must not grieve in any way, O best of serpents — I will destroy your fear that has arisen from the blazing fire."

1.49.24 "I will destroy the great and terrible rod of Brahmā's curse, equal in energy to the fire of dissolution — mother, you must not fear in any way."

1.49.25 The Sūta said: Then, having removed the terrible anguish of mind from Vāsuki and bearing it upon his own limbs, he set forth with great haste.

1.49.26 That foremost of twice-born men, Āstīka, went to Janamejaya's sacrifice, endowed with all its qualities, for the liberation of the lords of serpents.

1.49.27 Going there, Āstīka beheld that excellent sacrificial ground surrounded by many assembly-members of a brilliance equal to the sun and fire.

1.49.28 Stopped there at the gate by the doorkeepers as he sought to enter, that best of twice-born men, that foremost among the twice-born, praised the sacrifice in order to gain admittance.

1.50.1 Āstīka said: "The sacrifice of Soma, the sacrifice of Varuṇa, the sacrifice of Prajāpati performed at Prayāga — such is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of the Bhāratas, O son of Parīkṣit. May there be welfare to us and to our dear ones!"

1.50.2 "The sacrifice of Śakra is said to be one hundred in number; another equally counted is verily a hundred — such is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of the Bhāratas, O son of Parīkṣit. May there be welfare to us and to our dear ones!"

1.50.3 "As was the sacrifice of Yama and of Harishmedha, as was the sacrifice of king Rantideva — such is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of the Bhāratas, O son of Parīkṣit. May there be welfare to us and to our dear ones!"

1.50.4 "The sacrifice of Gaya, the sacrifice of king Śaśabindu, and the sacrifice of king Vaiśravaṇa — such is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of the Bhāratas, O son of Parīkṣit. May there be welfare to us and to our dear ones!"

1.50.5 "The sacrifice of Nṛga and that of Ajamīḍha, as was the sacrifice of king Dāśarathi — such is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of the Bhāratas, O son of Parīkṣit. May there be welfare to us and to our dear ones!"

1.50.6 "We have heard of the sacrifice in heaven of the son of the gods, the sacrifice of king Yudhiṣṭhira, the descendant of Ajamīḍha — such is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of the Bhāratas, O son of Parīkṣit. May there be welfare to us and to our dear ones!"

1.50.7 "The sacrifice of Kṛṣṇa, the son of Satyavatī, wherein he himself performed the rites — such is this sacrifice of yours, O foremost of the Bhāratas, O son of Parīkṣit. May there be welfare to us and to our dear ones!"

1.50.8 "For these ones here of a brilliance like the sun and fire are seated as at the rite of the Slayer of Vṛtra; no knowledge exists today to fully comprehend them — what is given to them can never in any way be lost."

1.50.9 "There is no equal to Dvaipāyana as a priest anywhere in the worlds — this is my firm conviction. For his disciples walk this earth as officiant priests, all skilled in their respective rites."

1.50.10 "Vibhāvasu, Citrabhānu, the great-souled one, bearer of golden seed, all-consumer, dark-pathed, with flame spiralling rightward, blazing — the god who is the eater of oblations desires this offering of yours."

1.50.11 "There is no other king found in this world of the living equal to you as a protector of subjects; I am always glad at heart by your steadfastness — you are either the king Dharmarāja or Yama himself."

1.50.12 "As Śakra, the thunderbolt-wielding Indra himself, is protector in this world, so are you here the protector of subjects; you are esteemed by us as the lord of men in this world — and there is none other than you who is master of this sacrifice."

1.50.13 "Equal to Khatvanga, Nābhāga, and Dilīpa, of prowess comparable to Yayāti and Māndhātā, of energy matching the brilliance of the Ādityas — you shine, O Suvarata, like Bhīṣma."

1.50.14 "Your composure is as firm as Vālmīki's; your anger is as restrained as Vasiṣṭha's; your lordship I deem equal to that of Indra; and your radiance shines like Nārāyaṇa's."

1.50.15 "As Yama you know the determination of dharma; as Kṛṣṇa you are endowed with every virtue; as Śrī is the abode of the Vasus, so are you the repository of sacrifices."

1.50.16 "In strength you are equal to Dambhodbhava; like Rāma you are versed in weapons and missiles; in energy you are equal to Aurva and Trita; you are hard to look upon as the sun, or like Bhagīratha."

1.50.17 The Sūta said: Thus praised, all of them — the king, the assembly-members, the priests, and the bearer of oblations — were pleased. Seeing the contented gestures of all of them, king Janamejaya then spoke:

1.51.1 Janamejaya said: "This boy speaks like an elder; this is no boy — he is an elder in my estimation. I wish to grant him a boon — O Brāhmaṇas, assembled together, permit me this."

1.51.2 The assembly-members said: "Even a Brahmin boy is always worthy of honour from kings, whether unlearned or learned. He deserves all wishes from you properly today — and let Takṣaka come quickly to us."

1.51.3 The Sūta said: As the boon-granting king was about to speak, offering a boon to the twice-born youth, the Hotā then said with a heart not excessively joyful: "Choose a boon" — for Takṣaka had not yet come to the rite.

1.51.4 Janamejaya said: "May all of you strive with your utmost power that this rite of mine be completed and that Takṣaka comes quickly to us — for he is my enemy."

1.51.5 The officiating priests said: "As the scriptures tell us, and as the fire itself indicates — O king, Takṣaka is in the mansion of Indra, oppressed by fear."

1.51.6 The Sūta said: "Just as the great-souled Sūta Lohitākṣa, the Puranic bard, had known this beforehand and told the king when asked at that time — even as the Brāhmaṇas declare it, so is this the case, O lord of men."

1.51.7 "'Drawing on the Purāṇa, I tell you this: Indra gave him that boon, O king: "Dwell here in my presence, well protected — the fire shall not burn you."'"

1.51.8 Hearing this, the consecrated king, burning with ardour, sat urging the Hotā on at the time of the rite; the Hotā, alert, offered with mantras — and thereupon Indra himself came in person.

1.51.9 Having mounted his celestial vehicle, the great and glorious one was praised by all the gods, accompanied also by Balāhaka spirits, by the Vidyādharas and by hosts of Apsaras.

1.51.10 That serpent, hidden in Indra's upper garment, could find no safety, agitated by fear; then the king, versed in spells, again spoke words in anger, desiring the end of Takṣaka:

1.51.11 "O Brāhmaṇas, if that serpent Takṣaka is in the mansion of Indra, then hurl him together with Indra himself into the fire."

1.51.12 The officiating priests said: "Takṣaka is indeed coming quickly under your power, O king; his great cry is heard, roaring terribly out of fear."

1.51.13 "Surely that serpent has been released by the thunder-bearer; fallen from Indra's embrace, his body loosened by the mantras, that lord of serpents comes whirling through the sky, having lost consciousness, breathing violent breaths."

1.51.14 "This rite of yours is proceeding according to rule, O lord of kings, O master. Now you should grant a boon to this foremost of twice-born men."

1.51.15 Janamejaya said: "O immeasurable one, fitting your youth and handsome form, I grant you a boon as is proper. Choose whatever rests in your heart as desired — I shall bestow it on you even if it be ungrantable."

1.51.16 The Sūta said: As the lord of serpents Takṣaka was on the verge of falling into the fire, seizing this interval, Āstīka then urged his request, saying: "This is the moment."

1.51.17 "If you grant me a boon, O Janamejaya, this is my choice: let this sacrifice of yours cease, and let no more serpents fall here."

1.51.18 The Sūta said: Thus addressed, the king, son of Parīkṣit, O Brahmin, was then not altogether of a rejoicing mind, and spoke these words to Āstīka:

1.51.19 Janamejaya said: Gold, silver, cows, and whatever else you may desire, O lord — all that I would give you as a boon, O brahmin; let my sacrifice not be turned back.

1.51.20 Āstīka said: Gold, silver, and cows — none of these do I choose from you, O king. Let this sacrifice of yours be stopped; may there be welfare for our mother's kin.

1.51.21 The Sūta said: Thus addressed by Āstīka, the king, son of Parīkṣit, then spoke again and again to Āstīka, saying, 'Choose among those who speak the best boon.'

1.51.22 He said: Choose another boon, good fortune to you, O best of the twice-born. But that son of the Bhṛgu line asked for no other boon.

1.51.23 Then all the learned members of the assembly who were versed in the Vedas together spoke to that king: Let the brahmin receive his boon.

1.52.1 Śaunaka said: Those serpents that fell into the fire in this snake sacrifice — I wish to hear the names of all of them, O son of the Sūta.

1.52.2 The Sūta said: Many thousands, millions, and hundreds of millions — they cannot be fully enumerated because of their great number, O best of Veda-knowers.

1.52.3 Yet as I remember them, hear from me the names of the chief serpents that were offered into the sacred fire, as I speak them.

1.52.4 Learn from me first, by way of eminence, those born in Vāsuki's lineage — dark, red, white, terrible, of great bodies, and fierce with venom.

1.52.5 Koṭika, Mānasa, Pūrṇa, Saha, Paila, Halīsaka, Picchila, Koṇapa, Cakra, Koṇavega, and Prakālana —

1.52.6 Hiraṇyavāha, Śaraṇa, Kakṣaka, and Kāladantaka — these serpents born of Vāsuki entered the sacrificial fire.

1.52.7 Those born in the lineage of Takṣaka I will now declare; hear them: Pucchaṇḍaka, Maṇḍalaka, Piṇḍabhettā, and Rabheṇaka —

1.52.8 Ucchikha, Surasā, Draṅga, Balaheḍa, Virohaṇa, Śilīśalakara, Mūka, Sukumāra, and Pravepana —

1.52.9 Mudgara, Śaśaromā, Sumanā, and Vegavāhana — these serpents born of Takṣaka entered the sacrificial fire.

1.52.10 Pārāvata, Pāriyātra, Pāṇḍara, Hariṇa, Kṛśa, Vihaṃga, Śarabha, Moda, Pramoda, and Saṃhatāṅgada —

1.52.11 These from the lineage of Airāvata entered the sacrificial fire. Now hear from me the serpents born in the lineage of Kauravya, O best of the twice-born.

1.52.12 Aiṇḍila, Kuṇḍala, Muṇḍa, Veṇiskandha, Kumāraka, Bāhuka, Śṛṅgavega, Dhūrtaka, and the pair Pāta and Pātara —

1.52.13 Hear in detail the serpents born in the lineage of Dhṛtarāṣṭra as I enumerate them, O brahmin — swift as the wind and fierce with venom.

1.52.14 Śaṅkukarṇa, Piṅgalaka, Kuṭhāramukha, Mecaka, Pūrṇāṅgada, Pūrṇamukha, Prahasa, Śakuni, and Hari —

1.52.15 Āmāhaṭha, Komaṭhaka, Śvasana, Mānava, Vaṭa, Bhairava, Muṇḍavedāṅga, Piśaṅga, and Udrapāraga —

1.52.16 Ṛṣabha, Vegavān, Piṇḍāraka, Mahāhanu, Raktāṅga, Sarvasāraṅga, Samṛddha, and the pair Pāṭa and Rākṣasa —

1.52.17 Varāhaka, Vāraṇaka, Sumitrā, Citravediha, Parāśara, Taruṇaka, Maṇiskandha, and Āruṇi —

1.52.18 Thus have I enumerated these fame-enhancing serpents, O brahmin — the chief ones principally; not all of them, given their great multitude.

1.52.19 The sons and grandsons of these, and the whole succession of their offspring who entered the blazing fire — they cannot be fully counted.

1.52.20 Those with seven heads, those with two heads, and others with five heads — terrible, bearing the venom of the fires of time — were offered by the hundreds of thousands.

1.52.21 Of vast body and great might, towering like mountain peaks, a yojana in length and breadth, or stretching two yojanas in extent —

1.52.22 Able to assume any form at will, moving wherever they wished, fierce with the venom of blazing fire — they were burned in that great sacrifice, crushed by the rod of Brahman's curse.

1.53.1 The Sūta said: We have heard of yet another most wonderful thing concerning Āstīka, when the king, son of Parīkṣit, was plying him with boons.

1.53.2 When the serpent slipped from Indra's hand and remained suspended in mid-air, King Janamejaya became deeply anxious.

1.53.3 Though the fire was burning fiercely and offerings were being made in the proper manner, Takṣaka, tormented by fear, did not fall into the fire.

1.53.4 Śaunaka said: Why, O Sūta, did the collection of mantras of those wise brahmins fail to work, so that Takṣaka did not then fall into the fire?

1.53.5 The Sūta said: As that best of serpents slipped from Indra's hand and was losing consciousness, Āstīka raised his voice three times, calling out: Stop! Stop!

1.53.6 Then that serpent remained stationary in the sky, its heart trembling — just as a man might stand still when caught within a circle of cattle.

1.53.7 Then the king, strongly urged by the members of the assembly, spoke: Let it be so, as Āstīka has spoken, as he desires.

1.53.8 Let this rite be concluded; let the serpents be free from harm; let this Āstīka be pleased; and let the words of the Sūta prove true.

1.53.9 Then a cry of rejoicing arose; and when the boon was granted to Āstīka, it likewise came to rest — the sacrifice stopped.

1.53.10 That sacrifice of the king, the son of Pāṇḍu's line, the son of Parīkṣit — and King Janamejaya of the Bhārata race was pleased.

1.53.11 To the officiating priests and the assembled members of the council who had gathered there, he gave wealth in hundreds and thousands.

1.53.12 To Lohitākṣa the Sūta, and likewise to the architect, the mighty king gave a great gift — it was he who had foretold at the very start of the sacrifice that it would be stopped.

1.53.13 Saying, 'This brahmin was the omen,' he gave him abundant wealth; then he performed the concluding ablution in accordance with the prescribed ritual.

1.53.14 The king, his heart pleased, sent Āstīka — the wise one, pleased and fulfilled in his purpose — home with great honor.

1.53.15 And he said to him: You must come again; you shall be a member of my council at the great horse sacrifice.

1.53.16 Saying 'So be it,' Āstīka departed joyfully, having accomplished an incomparable purpose and having satisfied the king.

1.53.17 He went, supremely glad, approached his mother and his maternal uncle, embraced them, and reported to them everything that had transpired.

1.53.18 Hearing this, the serpents who had gathered there, freed from delusion and rejoicing, were filled with delight toward Āstīka; and they spoke to him: Choose whatever boon you desire.

1.53.19 Again and again they all said to him on every side: What shall we do today that is dear to you, O wise one? We are pleased, and all of us have been saved; what desire shall we fulfill for you today, dear child?

1.53.20 Āstīka said: May those in the world — brahmins, ordinary men, and others too — who with pure hearts morning and evening recite this account of mine have no fear from you whatsoever.

1.53.21 The Sūta said: And addressed by them with pure hearts, their nephew was told: This is true; we who act thus with joy shall certainly fulfill every desire of yours, O nephew, being ever inclined to it.

1.53.22 May Āstīka, born of Jaratkāru from Jaratkārvā, of great renown, firm in his vow of truth, protect me from serpents.

1.53.23 Whoever remembers Asita, Ārtimanta, and Sunītha — whether by day or by night — shall have no fear of serpents.

1.53.24 The Sūta said: Having freed the serpents from the snake sacrifice, that best of twice-born, righteous in soul, went in time to his appointed end, blessed with sons and grandsons.

1.53.25 Thus has the tale of Āstīka been recounted to you by me faithfully; one who narrates it has no fear from serpents anywhere.

1.53.26 Having heard this most righteous tale of Āstīka — the meritorious story of the poet Āstīka, O brahmin, his glorious career from the very beginning —

1.53.27 Śaunaka said: The great tale has been told to me by you in full, O son of the Sūta, my dear — from the lineage of Bhṛgu onward; I am pleased with you for that.

1.53.28 And I shall question you further, O delight of the Sūta; tell me also again the story composed by Vyāsa.

1.53.29 During the intervals of that most difficult of rites — the snake sacrifice of those great souls — according to proper procedure, among the members of the council, O great poet —

1.53.30 Whatever wonderful stories arose and in what matters they were told truly — I wish to hear these from you, O Sūta, for you are indeed discerning.

1.53.31 The Sūta said: During the intervals of the rite, the twice-born men told stories rooted in the Vedas; but Vyāsa always narrated the great tale, the Mahābhārata.

1.53.32 Śaunaka said: The tale of the Mahābhārata, that account glorifying the Pāṇḍavas — when Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana was questioned by Janamejaya —

1.53.33 He recited it in due form during those intervals of the rite; that sacred story I truly wish to hear in proper order.

1.53.34 Narrate it — that story born from the ocean of the great seer's mind, whose deeds are holy — O best among the righteous; I am never satiated, O son of the Sūta.

1.53.35 The Sūta said: Very well, I shall tell you that great and excellent story — the Mahābhārata as composed by Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana — from the very beginning.

1.53.36 Enjoy it as I narrate it, O brahmin of supreme understanding; in recounting it, joy of mind arises within me here as well.

1.54.1 The Sūta said: Having heard that Janamejaya had consecrated himself for the snake sacrifice, the learned seer Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana then came to him.

1.54.2 The one whom Kālī — still a maiden — bore on the island in the Yamunā from Parāśara, son of Śakti, that grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas —

1.54.3 Who, even as soon as he was born, instantly grew in body by the power of his will, and mastered the Vedas with all their ancillary branches and histories — that one of great glory —

1.54.4 Whom no one could surpass in austerity, nor in the study of the Vedas, nor by vows, nor by fasting, nor by birth, nor by ardor —

1.54.5 Who divided the one Veda into four — he, the best of those who know the Vedas, knower of the far and near, a brahmin seer, a poet, firm in the vow of truth, and pure —

1.54.6 Who fathered Pāṇḍu, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Vidura as well, extending the lineage of Śaṃtanu — he of holy fame and great glory —

1.54.7 He entered the sacrificial hall of Janamejaya the royal seer at that time, accompanied by disciples who had mastered the Vedas and all their branches.

1.54.8 There he saw King Janamejaya seated, surrounded by many members of the assembly — like Puraṃdara surrounded by the gods.

1.54.9 And also with consecrated kings from various countries, and with officiating priests equal to the gods, skilled in the spreading of the sacrificial ground.

1.54.10 Janamejaya the royal seer, best of the Bhāratas, seeing that seer arrive, rose swiftly with his retinue out of joy.

1.54.11 With the approval of the assembly members, the mighty king arranged a golden seat for him — just as Indra would for Bṛhaspati.

1.54.12 When he had taken his seat there — the bestower of boons, honored by the hosts of divine seers — the foremost of kings honored him with acts prescribed by scripture.

1.54.13 Water for washing the feet, water for rinsing the mouth, the guest offering, and a cow — all in due order — he presented to Kṛṣṇa, his grandfather, as was worthy of him.

1.54.14 Having received that honor from Janamejaya, the Pāṇḍava's descendant, and having given permission for the cow, Vyāsa was pleased at that time.

1.54.15 Having thus honored that great-grandfather with care, the king sat near him with a joyful heart and inquired after his welfare.

1.54.16 The blessed one in turn, seeing the king, communicated his well-being, was honored by all the assembly members, and honored the assembly members in return.

1.54.17 Then Janamejaya, after that best of twice-born had been duly honored by all the assembly members, thereafter addressed him with folded hands.

1.54.18 You have been a direct witness of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas; I wish to hear their deeds narrated by you, O brahmin.

1.54.19 How did the split arise between those whose deeds were beyond reproach? And how did that great war come to pass — the war that put an end to so many living beings?

1.54.20 Tell me all of this in full, concerning all those forefathers whose minds were possessed by fate, O Blessed One, for you are skilled in such telling.

1.54.21 Hearing those words, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana then instructed his disciple Vaiśaṃpāyana, who was seated nearby.

1.54.22 Narrate to him in full how the split between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas came about in former times — everything that you have heard from me.

1.54.23 That bull among brahmins, having received the command of his guru, then narrated the entire ancient history.

1.54.24 To that king, to the members of the assembly, and to all the kshatriyas gathered there, he then told the story of the rift and the destruction of the kingdom of the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas.

1.55.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana spoke: Having first bowed to my guru with mind, intellect, and concentrated thought, and having honoured all the brahmins and other learned persons present —

1.55.2 — I shall now set forth in full the teaching of Vyāsa, the great sage renowned throughout all the worlds, the wise one of immeasurable splendour.

1.55.3 O king, you are a worthy vessel to hear this Bhārata tale; the eagerness to speak on behalf of my guru urges me on with joy, as it were.

1.55.4 Hear, O king, how the rift between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas came about: the exile arising from the dice game over the kingdom, and all that followed.

1.55.5 And how the war came about — the war that laid waste to the earth — all of that I shall recount to you who ask, O bull of the Bhārata line.

1.55.6 When their father had died, those heroes returned from the forest to their own dwelling, and in no great time became learned in both the Veda and the bow.

1.55.7 Seeing the Pāṇḍavas endowed with beauty, valour, and vigour, approved of by the citizens, and bearing glory and renown, the Kurus could not endure them.

1.55.8 Then the cruel Duryodhana, together with Karṇa and Śakuni son of Subala, undertook various schemes to suppress and banish them.

1.55.9 That wicked son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra then administered poison to Bhīma; but the hero Vṛkodara digested it along with his food.

1.55.10 Then, binding the sleeping Vṛkodara at Pramanakoți and hurling Bhīma into the waters of the Gaṅgā, he returned to the city.

1.55.11 When Kaunteya awoke, he snapped his bonds and arose, O great king — Bhīmasena, free of all distress.

1.55.12 He also had him bitten all over his body by venomous black serpents while he slept; yet that slayer of foes did not die.

1.55.13 In each and every one of those acts of harm, the great-minded Vidura was ever watchful in rescuing and countering them.

1.55.14 Just as Indra, dwelling in heaven, ever brings welfare to the living world, so too did Vidura ever bring welfare to the Pāṇḍavas.

1.55.15 But when, despite all manner of concealed and open stratagems, he could not kill those who were protected by fate and divine will —

1.55.16 — then, having taken counsel with his ministers headed by Vrisha and Duḥśāsana, and having obtained Dhṛtarāṣṭra's permission, he ordered the house of lac.

1.55.17 He had the Pāṇḍavas of boundless might housed there, and then, when they were off guard, he set fire to them with a conflagration.

1.55.18 But by Vidura's counsel a tunnel had been prepared beforehand; by this means he delivered them, and they, freed, fled in fear.

1.55.19 Then in the dreadful great forest, Bhīmasena of fearsome might, enraged, slew on the earth the rakshasa named Hiḍimba.

1.55.20 Then those heroes, scorchers of foes, having set out together for the city of Ekacakra, went there in the guise of brahmins, accompanied by their mother.

1.55.21 There, for the sake of a brahmin, they slew the mighty Baka, and then, in the company of brahmins, they departed for the city of the Pāñcālas.

1.55.22 There, having won Draupadī and resided for the full period of a year, those tamers of enemies returned to Hāstinapura, now known for who they were.

1.55.23 They were addressed by King Dhṛtarāṣṭra son of Śaṃtanu: "My dear sons, why should there be conflict between you and your brothers? We have thought of a dwelling for you at Khāṇḍavaprastha."

1.55.24 "Therefore, setting aside your anger, go to Khāṇḍavaprastha to dwell there — a land endowed with populated territories and well-laid broad roads."

1.55.25 At the word of those two, they departed, taking all manner of gems and jewels, along with all their friends and well-wishers, for the city of Khāṇḍavaprastha.

1.55.26 There they dwelt, O king, for many years, bringing other kings under their dominion by the might of their arms.

1.55.27 Ever foremost in dharma, devoted to vows of truth, alert and diligent, forbearing, yet blazing with power against their enemies — such were they in those days.

1.55.28 The mighty Bhīmasena conquered the eastern quarter; the heroic Arjuna, the northern; and Nakula likewise conquered the western.

1.55.29 Sahadeva, slayer of enemy heroes, conquered the southern quarter; and together they brought the entire earth under their sway.

1.55.30 With five Pāṇḍavas resplendent as the sun, and with the sun itself blazing, the earth shone as if lit by six suns — the Pāṇḍavas of true valour.

1.55.31 Then, on account of a certain circumstance, King Yudhiṣṭhira the Dharmarāja sent his brother Dhanañjaya to the forest.

1.55.32 He dwelt in the forest for a full year and one month, and then at some point went to Hṛṣīkeśa at Dvāravatī.

1.55.33 There Bībhatsu obtained as wife the lotus-eyed Subhadrā, the younger sister of Vāsudeva, she of auspicious speech.

1.55.34 Subhadrā, delighted, was united with the Pāṇḍava Arjuna just as Śacī is with great Indra, or as Śrī is united with Kṛṣṇa.

1.55.35 And Bībhatsu, that Kaunteya, together with Vāsudeva, satisfied the fire — the carrier of oblations — in the Khāṇḍava forest, O best of kings.

1.55.36 For Pārtha, with Keśava as companion in his endeavours, bore no excessive burden — even as Viṣṇu is with his allies in the slaying of foes.

1.55.37 Agni also gave to Pārtha the supreme bow Gāṇḍīva, two inexhaustible quivers with arrows, and a chariot marked with the monkey-banner.

1.55.38 Bībhatsu rescued there the great asura Maya, and he in turn fashioned a divine assembly hall filled with every kind of gem.

1.55.39 In that hall, the dull-witted and most evil-minded Duryodhana conceived his covetousness; and thereafter, with Śakuni son of Subala, he cheated Yudhiṣṭhira at dice.

1.55.40 He sent them to the forest for twelve years, and for the thirteenth year to live unrecognized within the kingdom — thus thirteen years in all.

1.55.41 Then in the fourteenth year, when they sought their rightful property, they did not obtain it, O great king, and so the war began.

1.55.42 Having then destroyed everything and slain King Duryodhana, the Pāṇḍavas recovered the kingdom, now emptied of most of its people.

1.55.43 Such was the ancient story of those whose deeds were beyond reproach: the rift, the destruction of the kingdom, and the victory — O best of conquerors.

1.56.1 Janamejaya spoke: You have narrated in summary, O best of brahmins, the entire Mahābhārata — the great story of the deeds of the Kurus.

1.56.2 But as you narrate this tale of wondrous import, O sinless one, an exceeding great curiosity has arisen in me to hear it at length.

1.56.3 You, sir, should narrate this again in full detail; for I am not satisfied, listening to the great deeds of the ancestors.

1.56.4 For the cause cannot have been trivial — those who know dharma, the Pāṇḍavas, killed men who were in principle inviolable, and yet they are praised by all people.

1.56.5 For what reason did those tigers among men, though capable and themselves without fault, endure the afflictions inflicted upon them by the wicked?

1.56.6 How was it that Vṛkodara, mighty of arm, with the strength of ten thousand elephants, could restrain his anger even while suffering great torment, O best of brahmins?

1.56.7 How was it that Draupadī the dark one, being tormented by the wicked, chaste as she was and possessed of terrible eyes, did not burn the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra?

1.56.8 How did the two Pārthas and the two sons of Mādrī, passing over the transgression at the dice game, follow that tiger among men even as he was being cheated by the wicked?

1.56.9 How was it that Yudhiṣṭhira, the foremost of those who uphold dharma, the son of Dharma himself, a knower of dharma, who deserved no such thing, could endure the utmost affliction?

1.56.10 And how did Dhanañjaya, the Pāṇḍava with Kṛṣṇa as his charioteer, single-handedly shooting arrows, send all those vast armies to the world of the fathers?

1.56.11 Tell me all of this as it truly occurred, O wealth of asceticism, and whatever those great chariot-warriors did on each occasion.

1.56.12 Vaiśaṃpāyana spoke: I shall now set forth in full the teaching of Vyāsa, the great sage of great soul worshipped throughout all the worlds, the one of immeasurable splendour.

1.56.13 For this collection of a hundred thousand verses of meritorious deeds has been expounded here by the son of Satyavatī, that one of boundless might.

1.56.14 The learned man who has this recited, and the person who hears it — they, having attained the abode of Brahman, shall reach a state equal to that of the gods.

1.56.15 This is equal to the Vedas, most sacred, most excellent; this Purāṇa is the foremost of all things worth hearing, and it is praised by the seers.

1.56.16 In this most meritorious history, artha, dharma, and ultimate wisdom are taught in their entirety.

1.56.17 One who, knowing this Veda of Kṛṣṇa, has it recited to those who are not petty-minded, who are given to charity, devoted to truth, and not unbelievers, shall attain the highest good.

1.56.18 Even the sin incurred by the killing of an embryo is undoubtedly shed — even a most hardened man, upon hearing this history.

1.56.19 This history named Jaya should be heard by one who desires victory; he shall conquer the entire earth and vanquish his enemies as well.

1.56.20 This is the best rite for obtaining a male child; this is a great rite of blessing; it should be heard many times by the queen and the crown prince alike.

1.56.21 This is a sacred treatise on wealth; this is the supreme treatise on dharma; this is declared to be the treatise on liberation, by Vyāsa of boundless intellect.

1.56.22 Some relate it even now; others will relate it hereafter; there are sons who are eager to serve, and attendants who do whatever is pleasing.

1.56.23 All the sin committed by body, by speech, and by mind — a person who always hears this swiftly sheds all of it.

1.56.24 Those who listen without envy to the great birth-narrative of the Bhāratas shall have no fear of disease — how then could they fear the world beyond?

1.56.25 This, which confers prosperity, renown, long life, heaven, and merit, was composed by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, who desired to bestow merit.

1.56.26 He composed it to spread the fame throughout the world of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas, and of the other kshatriyas of abundant wealth and splendour.

1.56.27 Just as the blessed ocean and the mountain Himavat are both renowned as treasuries of gems, so the Bhārata is called a treasury of gems.

1.56.28 The learned man who has this recited to brahmins here on the occasion of the parvan days — his sins shaken off, heaven won — he attains the state of Brahman.

1.56.29 And one who has even a single verse of this recited to brahmins at a shraddha ceremony — that shraddha of his shall remain inexhaustible, and shall fully reach his ancestors.

1.56.30 Whatever sin a person commits unknowingly in the course of a day — all of that dissolves simply upon hearing this narrative called the Mahābhārata.

1.56.31 The great birth of the Bhāratas is called the Mahābhārata; he who knows its etymology is freed from all sins.

1.56.32 Rising early each day for three years, the sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana composed this excellent narrative, the Mahābhārata.

1.56.33 Whatever here concerns dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa, O bull of the Bhāratas — that is found elsewhere too; but what is not here is nowhere else.

1.57.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: There was a king named Rājoparicara, steadfast in dharma, a lord of the earth; though firm in his vows, he once set out for the hunt.

1.57.2 At Indra's instruction, Vasu, the joy of the Paurava line, that lord of the earth, took possession of the pleasant Cedi kingdom, worthy of acquisition.

1.57.3 To him who had laid aside his weapons and was dwelling in an hermitage delighting in austerity, the god himself — the wielder of the thunderbolt — came in person to that lord of the earth.

1.57.4 Reflecting that this king was worthy of Indra's station through his austerity, Indra gently turned him away from his penance in person.

1.57.5 Indra said: Let not dharma be confounded upon the earth, O lord of the earth — protect it; for dharma, when upheld, sustains the entire world.

1.57.6 Guard the dharma of the world, ever diligent and composed; yoked to dharma, you will thereby win blessed and eternal worlds.

1.57.7 Dwelling on earth while I dwell in heaven, become my friend and dear companion; inhabit that region which is the udder of the earth, O lord of men.

1.57.8 That land is rich in cattle, holy, stable, abounding in wealth and grain, easy to defend, pleasant, and endowed with the enjoyable gifts of the earth.

1.57.9 This region surpasses all others, richly furnished with riches and gems; the earth there is full of wealth — dwell among the Cedis, O lord of the Cedis.

1.57.10 The people of that realm are virtuous in character, easily contented, and righteous; there is no false speech even in casual talk, much less otherwise.

1.57.11 Men devoted to the welfare of their elders do not divide property from their fathers; they do not yoke lean cattle to the plough, and they do not allow the feeble to starve.

1.57.12 All the social orders always abide in their own dharma in the Cedi realm, O giver of honour; nothing that occurs in the three worlds is unknown to you.

1.57.13 A great divine crystal aerial chariot, fit for the enjoyment of the gods, moving through the sky — a flying vehicle given by me — shall attend upon you.

1.57.14 You alone among all mortals, mounted on the finest of aerial chariots, shall move on high like an embodied god.

1.57.15 I give you the Vaijayantī garland of unfading lotuses, which shall protect you unwounded by weapons in battle.

1.57.16 This very mark shall be yours, O lord of men — known as the Indra-garland, auspicious, matchless, and great.

1.57.17 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The slayer of Vṛtra also gave him a bamboo staff, meant for bestowing desired gifts and protecting the righteous.

1.57.18 In honour of that staff of Indra, the lord of the earth had it planted in the ground once a year had passed.

1.57.19 From that time forward, even to this day, O king, the planting of the staff is performed by the best of kings just as he established it.

1.57.20 The next day too the staff is raised by kings, decked with boxes, fragrant unguents, garlands, and ornaments; wreathed with garlands and festoons it is duly honoured according to rule.

1.57.21 And the blessed Śaṃkara is worshipped here in a comic form, assumed by himself out of affection for the great-souled Vasu.

1.57.22 Seeing this auspicious worship, done by the gods and by Vasu the foremost of kings, the mighty Mahendra spoke with delight.

1.57.23 Those men and kings who shall worship my festival and celebrate it joyfully as the lord of the Cedis has done —

1.57.24 — for them, together with their kingdoms, there shall be prosperity and victory, and their realm shall be flourishing and joyful.

1.57.25 Thus was the great king Vasu honoured with affection by the great-souled Mahendra, the bounteous one, O lord of men.

1.57.26 Those men who shall always celebrate Indra's festival — just as they are purified by great gift-bestowing sacrifices with gifts of land and the like, so also are they purified by the Indra-festival.

1.57.27 Thus duly honoured by the bounteous Indra, Vasu the lord of the Cedis governed the earth from Cedi with righteousness, and that lord of the earth celebrated the Indra-festival out of love for Indra.

1.57.28 He had five sons of great valour and boundless energy, and that emperor consecrated his sons over various kingdoms.

1.57.29 The renowned great warrior Bṛhadratha king of Magadha, Pratyagraha, Kuśāmba who is called Maṇivāhana, Macchilla, Yadu, and the warrior Aparājita —

1.57.30 These were the sons of that royal sage of abundant lustre, O king; those five Vāsava kings settled countries and cities with their own names and founded eternal separate dynasties.

1.57.31 Dwelling in the crystal aerial palace given by Indra, that great-souled king was attended upon by Gandharvas and Apsarases; thus his name became celebrated as Rājoparicara — the king who roams above.

1.57.32 The mountain Kolāhala, endowed with consciousness and overcome by desire, blocked the river Śuktimatī that flowed past his city.

1.57.33 Vasu struck that mountain Kolāhala with his foot; the river escaped through the cleft made by that blow.

1.57.34 The mountain had begotten a pair in that river; delighted at her release, the river presented them to the king.

1.57.35 The male child born there — that best of royal sages, Vasu the giver of wealth, made him a subduer-of-foes commander of the army; the king took the beloved girl, named Girikā, as his wife.

1.57.36 His wife Girikā, desiring a son, duly informed him that her fertile season had come; she had bathed, performed the puṃsavana rite, and was pure.

1.57.37 On that very day the ancestors spoke to him with affection — to that best of kings, the finest of the wise — saying: "Slay deer for us."

1.57.38 Not transgressing that command of the ancestors, the king went forth to hunt, yet, filled with desire, he kept thinking only of Girikā — she who was supremely beautiful, a very second Śrī made manifest.

1.57.39 As he roamed in that lovely forest his seed fell; the moment it fell the lord of the earth caught it on a leaf.

1.57.40 He caught it thinking: "My seed must not fall in vain; and the fertile season of my wife must not pass fruitless," so resolved the lord.

1.57.41 Having deliberated thus and pondered again and again, the best of kings, ascertaining that the seed must not be wasted —

1.57.42 — and reckoning the moment right for conveying the seed to his chief queen, he consecrated that seed with mantras; then, knowing the subtle truth of dharma and purpose, he discerned a swift hawk nearby and addressed it.

1.57.43 "For my sake, dear one, carry this seed swiftly to my home and deliver it to Girikā, for today is her fertile time."

1.57.44 Taking it, the hawk at once soared up swiftly and flew off at the greatest speed through the sky.

1.57.45 Another hawk, seeing that hawk coming, immediately rushed at it, suspecting that it carried meat.

1.57.46 The two then fought beak-to-beak in the sky; as they struggled the seed fell — and fell into the waters of the Yamunā.

1.57.47 There a celebrated celestial nymph named Adrikā, transformed into a fish by a brahmin's curse, was living in the Yamunā.

1.57.48 Adrikā, in the form of a fish, swiftly approached and swallowed that seed which had fallen from the hawk's talons — the seed of Vāsava's descendant.

1.57.49 Some time later, fishermen caught that fish; and when the tenth month had arrived, O best of the Bhāratas, they drew from her belly a human pair — one female, one male.

1.57.50 Thinking it a wonder, they reported to the king: "O king, these two human beings were born from the body of a fish."

1.57.51 Of the two, Rājoparicara took the male; he became the righteous king named Matsya, true to his word.

1.57.52 The Apsarā was freed from her curse in an instant, as the blessed one had previously told her: "O fair one, after entering an animal womb and giving birth to two humans, you shall be released from the curse."

1.57.53 Then, after giving birth to those two and being cut open by the fisherman, she abandoned the fish form, regained her divine form, and that excellent Apsarā went on her way along the path of Siddhas, sages, and Cāraṇas.

1.57.54 The daughter, born of that fish and smelling of fish, endowed with beauty and character, adorned with all virtues — the king gave her to a fisherman saying: "Let her be yours."

1.57.55 She became known by the name Satyavatī; living with the fisherman-killer, she smelled of fish for some time, though she was sweet-smiled.

1.57.56 While she was ferrying her father's boat on the water in service to him, Parāśara, wandering on a pilgrimage to sacred fords, saw her.

1.57.57 Seeing her — supremely beautiful, desired even by the Siddhas, and lovely to behold — that wise and learned bull among sages desired her, that maiden of Vāsava's line, and resolved to act.

1.57.58 She said: "Look, revered sir — on both banks stand sages who can see us both; how could our union take place?"

1.57.59 Addressed thus by her, the blessed and mighty sage created a mist by which that entire region became as if enveloped in darkness.

1.57.60 Seeing the mist conjured by the great sage, the intelligent girl was amazed and spoke, abashed.

1.57.61 "Know me, revered sir, as a maiden ever under my father's authority; by union with you my maidenhood would be defiled, O sinless one."

1.57.62 "And with my maidenhood defiled, O best of twice-born, how shall I be able to go home? Nor can I bring myself to remain at home, O wise one. Considering all this, revered sir, do whatever is best thereafter."

1.57.63 To her who spoke thus, the delighted foremost of sages said: "After granting me my desire, you shall remain a maiden still."

1.57.64 "Choose also a boon, timid one, whatever you desire, O beautiful lady; for my grace has never before been granted in vain, O sweet-smiled one."

1.57.65 Addressed thus, she chose as her boon a supreme fragrance of the body; and the blessed and mighty sage granted her the desire of her heart.

1.57.66 Then, having obtained her boon and delighted, adorned with the virtues of womanhood, she united with that sage of wondrous deeds.

1.57.67 From this her name Gandhavatī became celebrated on earth; people on earth could smell her fragrance from a yojana away.

1.57.68 Thus she became also widely known by the name Yojanagandha — "she whose fragrance reaches a yojana"; and the blessed Parāśara departed to his own abode.

1.57.69 Thus Satyavatī, overjoyed at obtaining that excellent boon, instantly conceived upon her union with Parāśara, and on an island in the Yamunā she gave birth; the mighty son of Parāśara was born.

1.57.70 He paid his respects to his mother, then set his mind on austerity; he said to her: "When you remember me, I shall appear to you in times of need."

1.57.71 Thus was Dvaipāyana born to Satyavatī from Parāśara; as that child was set down on an island (dvīpa) he became known as Dvaipāyana.

1.57.72 Knowing how dharma recedes step by step from age to age, and observing the lifespan and capacity of mortals age by age —

1.57.73 — wishing to confer benefit on Brahmā and on the brahmins, he divided the Vedas; and because of that dividing (vyāsa) he is remembered as Vyāsa.

1.57.74 He taught the Vedas — with the Mahābhārata as the fifth — to Sumanta, Jaimini, Paila, and his own son Śuka.

1.57.75 The mighty, greatest, boon-granting Vyāsa also taught Vaiśaṃpāyana; by them the saṃhitās of the Bhārata were published separately.

1.57.76 Likewise Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, of boundless splendour, was born from Gaṅgā through the power of the Vasus — of great valour and great renown.

1.57.77 The ancient sage who was impaled on a spike — though no thief — out of suspicion of theft: he became celebrated as Aṇīmāṇḍavya, of very great renown.

1.57.78 That great seer, summoning Dharma of old, said this: 'In my childhood I pierced a little bird with a reed-stalk.'

1.57.79 That sin I remember, O Dharma — no other evil do I remember. Why then has not my austerity, which is equal to a thousand, conquered it here?

1.57.80 Since the slaying of a brahmin is graver than the slaying of all other beings, therefore, on account of this sin, you shall be born in a shudra womb.

1.57.81 By that curse, Dharma himself was born in a shudra womb — learned, in the form of Vidura, a righteous body free from sin.

1.57.82 Sañjaya, resembling a sage, was born as a charioteer's son from Gavalgaṇa. And from the Sun, in the maiden daughter of Kuntī, was born Karṇa the great warrior, bearing congenital armor, his face radiant with earrings.

1.57.83 For the benefit of the worlds, Viṣṇu, revered by the world, the greatly glorious one, manifested himself from Vāsudeva through Devakī.

1.57.84 That god, without beginning or end, is the maker and lord of the universe — the unmanifest, imperishable Brahman, the primal cause, of the nature of that which is beyond qualities.

1.57.85 He is the imperishable Self, the supreme source of Nature, the Cosmic Person, the maker of the universe, the union with pure being, the eternal and imperishable.

1.57.86 Infinite, immovable, divine, the Swan, Nārāyaṇa the lord, the Sustainer, unaging, eternal — they call him the supreme and imperishable.

1.57.87 That all-pervading Person, the maker, the grandfather of all beings, was born among the Andhaka-Vṛṣṇis for the purpose of upholding righteousness.

1.57.88 Sātyaki and Kṛtavarmā, both of great valor, skilled in all weapons and expert in missiles, devoted followers of Nārāyaṇa, were born from Satyaka and Hṛdika respectively, both masters of arms.

1.57.89 The seed spilled from Bharadvaja developed in a vessel; from that severe-ascetic great seer's seed, Droṇa was born.

1.57.90 From Śaradvān of the Gautama line, a pair was born from a clump of reeds — the mother of Aśvatthāmā and Kṛpa the mighty. Aśvatthāmā was then born from Droṇa, the foremost among bearers of weapons.

1.57.91 Likewise Dhṛṣṭadyumna too, directly blazing like fire, was born from the sacred fire when a Vedic rite was being performed — the valiant hero, born with a bow, destined to destroy Droṇa.

1.57.92 Likewise from the sacrificial altar was born Kṛṣṇa (Draupadī) as well — radiant, auspicious, resplendent of form, bearing a most exquisite beauty.

1.57.93 Nagnajit, a pupil of Prahlāda, became Subala; his offspring, destroyers of dharma, were born due to the wrath of the gods.

1.57.94 The son of the king of Gāndhāra became Śakuni, the son of Subala; and the mother of Duryodhana — both were born, those two knowers of worldly affairs.

1.57.95 From Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) were born Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lord of men, and the mighty Pāṇḍu as well, in the field of Vicitravīrya.

1.57.96 From Pāṇḍu were born five sons equal to gods, each from different mothers of two wives; the eldest among them in virtue was Yudhiṣṭhira.

1.57.97 Yudhiṣṭhira was born from Dharma, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) from the wind god; from Indra was born the glorious Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), foremost among all bearers of weapons.

1.57.98 The twin pair, endowed with beauty, were born from the Aśvins — Nakula and Sahadeva, devoted to the service of their elders.

1.57.99 Likewise a hundred sons were born to the wise Dhṛtarāṣṭra — headed by Duryodhana, and Yuyutsu, and Karana (Vikarṇa) likewise.

1.57.100 Abhimanyu was born from Arjuna through Subhadrā — the nephew of Vāsudeva, the grandson of the great-souled Pāṇḍu.

1.57.101 From the five Pāṇḍavas through Kṛṣṇa (Draupadī) were born five princes, endowed with beauty and skilled in all weapons.

1.57.102 Prativindhya from Yudhiṣṭhira, Sutasoma from Vṛkodara (Bhīma), Śrutakīrti from Arjuna, and Śatānīka the son of Nakula.

1.57.103 Likewise from Sahadeva came the valiant Śrutasena; and from Bhīma through Hiḍimba in the forest was born Ghaṭotkaca.

1.57.104 Śikhaṇḍin was born from Drupada — a girl who attained sonhood, whom the yaksha Sthuna made into a man out of desire to please.

1.57.105 In that conflict of the Kurus, hundreds of thousands of kings assembled, about to fight in battle.

1.57.106 Their names in their entirety cannot be reckoned — it is not possible to count them even in tens of thousands of years. But the chief ones have been named here, by whom this narrative is woven together.

1.58.1 Janamejaya said: O brahmin, those who have been named, and others who have not been fully named — I wish to hear about all of them properly, and about the other illustrious kings.

1.58.2 For what purpose were these great warriors, equal to gods, born here upon the earth — that, O greatly blessed one, you ought to explain to me fully.

1.58.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: This is indeed a secret of the gods, O king — so we have heard. Yet I shall tell it to you, after bowing to the Self-born (Brahmā).

1.58.4 Having made the earth devoid of kshatriyas twenty-one times in the past, Jamadagni's son (Paraśurāma) practiced austerities on Mount Mahendra, the greatest of mountains.

1.58.5 Then, when the world had been made devoid of kshatriyas by the descendant of Bhṛgu, O king, the kshatriya women approached brahmin men seeking to conceive.

1.58.6 With them those brahmins of disciplined vows came together, O tiger among men, in the proper fertile season, not out of desire, nor out of season.

1.58.7 From those brahmins those kshatriya women conceived by the thousands; then they gave birth, O king, to kshatriyas honored for their valor — both boys and girls — for the replenishment of the kshatriya order.

1.58.8 Thus that kshatriya order, born from ascetic brahmins upon kshatriya women, prospered in righteousness, endowed with very long life; and all four social orders at that time were foremost in brahminic virtue.

1.58.9 They approached women only in the proper season, not out of desire, nor out of season; likewise the other creatures, even those of animal birth, would approach their mates in season then, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.58.10 Then those subjects grew in righteousness, living for hundreds of thousands of years, devoted to the vow of dharma, O protector of the earth; men were entirely free from mental anguish and physical disease.

1.58.11 Then the kshatriya order again ruled over this earth bounded by the ocean, traversed in its entirety with the gait of a great elephant, with its mountains, forests, and groves.

1.58.12 When the kshatriya order again governed this wealth-bearing earth by dharma, the social orders headed by the brahmins attained supreme joy.

1.58.13 The lords of men, having cast away the faults born of desire and anger, administered punishment to those deserving punishment in accordance with dharma, and thus protected their subjects.

1.58.14 While the kshatriya order was thus devoted to dharma, the thousand-eyed one of a hundred sacrifices (Indra) rained sweetly in the right place and season, nourishing the subjects.

1.58.15 In that age, O lord of men, no child died in infancy; nor did any male know a woman before reaching youth.

1.58.16 Thus, O bull of the Bhāratas, this earth bounded by the ocean was abundantly filled with long-lived subjects.

1.58.17 The kshatriyas performed great sacrifices with abundant fees; and the brahmins studied the Vedas along with their supplementary texts and the Upaniṣads.

1.58.18 The brahmins did not sell sacred knowledge in those days, O king; nor did they recite the Vedas in the proximity of those equal to shudras.

1.58.19 The vaishyas caused cultivation by means of oxen; they did not yoke a cow to the plough, nor did they keep thin-bodied animals alive for labor.

1.58.20 Men did not milk cows with suckling calves that were still drinking the froth-milk; nor did merchants sell goods with false weights in those days.

1.58.21 Men, O tiger among men, performed deeds imbued with righteousness, keeping dharma always in view, devoted to dharma.

1.58.22 All the social orders were absorbed in their own proper duties, O lord of men; thus in that age, O tiger among men, dharma did not diminish anywhere.

1.58.23 Cows gave birth in due season, and women likewise, O bull of the Bhāratas; trees bore flowers and fruits in their seasons.

1.58.24 Thus when the Kṛta age was proceeding properly in those days, O king, the entire earth was abundantly filled with many living beings.

1.58.25 Then, as the human world flourished, O bull of the Bhāratas, the asuras were born in the fields of kings, O foremost of men.

1.58.26 For the daityas, having been repeatedly defeated in battle by the Ādityas and deprived of their sovereignty, came to be born here upon the earth.

1.58.27 Desiring divinity here and endowed with proud minds, O lord, the asuras were born among human beings on earth, in this and that creature.

1.58.28 Among cattle, among horses, O king of kings, among donkeys, camels, and buffaloes, among carnivorous creatures, among elephants and deer as well —

1.58.29 — by those who had been born here and those still being born, O guardian of the earth, this earth could no longer bear herself by her own strength.

1.58.30 Then certain kings were born endowed with great strength — sons of Diti and of Danu, fallen from that higher world to this one.

1.58.31 Powerful and arrogant, bearing various forms, those crushers of foes roamed over this earth bounded by the ocean.

1.58.32 They oppressed brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras alike; they oppressed all other creatures as well with their power.

1.58.33 Terrifying and slaying these various groups of beings, they wandered over the earth in all directions, O king, by the hundreds of thousands.

1.58.34 Assaulting great sages dwelling in their hermitages here and there, those enemies of brahmins, intoxicated with pride of valor and drunk with the intoxication of power —

1.58.35 — this earth, thus oppressed by those great asuras swollen with might and power, O protector of the earth, approached Brahmā.

1.58.36 For neither the wind, O king, nor the nagas, nor the mountains were able to bear this earth that had been forcibly overrun by the danavas.

1.58.37 Then the earth, O protector of the earth, weighed down by her burden and afflicted by fear, went for refuge to the god who is the grandfather of all beings.

1.58.38 She saw the god Brahmā, the imperishable maker of the worlds, surrounded by the greatly blessed gods, twice-born ones, and great seers.

1.58.39 Being praised by gandharvas and apsarases engaged in the work of eulogizing, filled with joy — she approached and paid reverence to him.

1.58.40 Then the earth, seeking refuge, presented her petition to him in the presence of all the world-guardians, O descendant of Bharata.

1.58.41 But the purpose of that earth's visit had already been known beforehand, O king, to the Self-born one of supreme nature, the one seated on the highest.

1.58.42 For how would the creator of the universe fail to know, O descendant of Bharata, the innermost thoughts of all worlds — of gods and asuras — without exception?

1.58.43 To her, O great king, spoke the lord of the earth, the all-pervading one, the source of all beings, the lord, the auspicious one, the Lord of Creatures (Brahmā).

1.58.44 For the purpose for which you have come into my presence, O holder of wealth, for that purpose I shall set all the celestial ones to work.

1.58.45 Having said this and dismissed the earth, O king, Brahmā the god, the creator of beings, himself gave instructions to all the wise ones.

1.58.46 He said: 'To remove the burden of this earth, be born separately, each in a portion, upon this very earth, for opposition against the asuras.'

1.58.47 Likewise, having assembled the hosts of gandharvas and apsarases, the blessed one said this excellent word to them all: 'Be born as you please among human beings, each through your own portion.'

1.58.48 Then Indra and all the others, having heard the word of their divine preceptor — true, purposeful, and beneficial — accepted it then.

1.58.49 Then all of them, having resolved to go to the earth through their own portions, approached Nārāyaṇa the destroyer of foes at Vaikuṇṭha.

1.58.50 He who holds discus and mace in hand, clad in yellow, dark of radiance, lotus-naveled, destroyer of the foes of the gods, with broad and beautiful oblique eyes —

1.58.51 — to that Puruṣottama (Supreme Person), Indra, for the purification of the earth, said: 'Descend through a portion of yourself.' And Hari replied to him: 'So be it.'

1.59.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Indra, together with Nārāyaṇa, made an agreement to descend to earth from heaven, accompanied by the gods, each taking a partial incarnation.

1.59.2 And Śakra himself, having instructed all the heaven-dwellers, departed once again from the abode of Nārāyaṇa.

1.59.3 For the destruction of the enemies of the immortals and for the welfare of all the worlds, those heaven-dwellers descended in succession from heaven to this earth.

1.59.4 Then, O tiger among kings, those heaven-dwellers were born at will in the lineages of brahmarshis and in the royal families of earthly sages.

1.59.5 They slew danavas and rakshasas, gandharvas and nagas, and many other man-eating beings in great numbers.

1.59.6 But the danavas, rakshasas, gandharvas, and nagas — those mighty ones — could not slay them even in childhood, O best of the Bhāratas.

1.59.7 Janamejaya said: Of the assemblies of gods and danavas, of gandharvas and apsaras, of all humans, and also of yakshas and rakshasas —

1.59.8 I wish to hear truly, from the very beginning, the complete origin of all these, and of all living beings in their entirety — for you know all things.

1.59.9 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Well then, I shall tell you — having bowed to the Self-born — the origin and dissolution of the worlds, beginning with the gods, completely and correctly.

1.59.10 The six great sages known as the mind-born sons of Brahmā are: Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu.

1.59.11 Kaśyapa is the son of Marīci, and from Kaśyapa were born these offspring. The thirteen highly blessed daughters of Dakṣa gave birth to these creatures.

1.59.12 Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kāla, Anāyus, Siṃhikā, Muni, Krodha, Prava, Ariṣṭa, Vinatā, and Kapilā —

1.59.13 — and Kadrū, O tiger among men, these daughters of Dakṣa, O Bhārata: the offspring — sons and grandsons — of these ladies, endowed with might, is without end.

1.59.14 From Aditi were born the twelve Ādityas, lords of the worlds. I shall name them for you, O king, O Bhārata.

1.59.15 Dhata, Mitra, Aryamā, Śakra, Varuṇa, and Aṃśa; Bhaga, Vivasvat, Pusha, and Savitā the tenth —

1.59.16 — Tvaṣṭā the eleventh, and Viṣṇu is declared the twelfth. He, the last-born of all the Ādityas, surpasses them all in virtues.

1.59.17 Diti had but one son, remembered as Hiraṇyakaśipu. These five sons of that great-souled one were known by the following names:

1.59.18 Prahlāda was the eldest among them, then Saṃhrāda next; Anuhlada was the third, and after him came Śibi and Bāṣkala.

1.59.19 Prahlāda had three sons known everywhere, O Bhārata: Virocana, Kumbha, and Nikumbha, all renowned.

1.59.20 Virocana had one son, the mighty Bali; and Bali's famous son was the great asura named Bāṇa.

1.59.21 Danu had forty sons known everywhere, O Bhārata; the eldest among them was the king Vipracitti, of great renown.

1.59.22 Śambara, Namuci, the renowned Pulomā; Asiloma, Keśī, and the danava Durjaya —

1.59.23 — Ayaḥśirā, Ashvashira, and the mighty Ayahshanku; Gaganamurdha, the swift Ketumān —

1.59.24 — Svarbhānu, Aśva, Aśvapati, Vṛṣaparvā and Ajaka; Aśvagrīva, Sukshma, and the great asura Tuhunda —

1.59.25 — Isripa, Ekacakra, Virūpākṣa, Hara and Ahara; Nicandra, Nikumbha, Kupatha, and Kapatha —

1.59.26 — Śarabha, Śalabha, and also the pair Sūrya and Candramā: thus are the danavas of Danu's lineage enumerated. But those two — Sūrya and Candramā — are indeed remembered as belonging to the gods.

1.59.27 And these ten bull-like danavas, famous in their lineage, full of vitality and mighty in strength, are the sons of Danu, O great king.

1.59.28 Ekaksha, the heroic Mritapa, Pralamba and Naraka; Vātāpi, Shatrutapana, and the great asura Shatha —

1.59.29 — Gaviṣṭha, Danayu, and the danava Dirghajihva. Their sons and grandsons are remembered as innumerable, O Bhārata.

1.59.30 Siṃhikā bore the son Rāhu, the afflicting force of moon and sun; also Sucandra, the moon-slayer, and Chandravimardana.

1.59.31 The offspring — sons and grandsons — of this cruel-natured woman are without end; the host called Krodhavaśa, of cruel deeds and destroyer of enemies.

1.59.32 Anāyus had four bull-like asura sons: Vikshara, Bala, Vīra, and the great asura Vṛtra.

1.59.33 The renowned sons of Kāla, resembling Death itself in their striking power, are known on earth as mighty in valor among the danavas, afflicting their foes.

1.59.34 Vinaśana, Krodha, Hanta the other son of Krodha, and likewise Krodhashatru — these are renowned as the Kāleyas.

1.59.35 Śukra, son of the sage Bhṛgu, became the preceptor of the asuras. The four famous sons of Uśanas were officiant priests for the asuras.

1.59.36 Tvashtavara, Atri, and two others — performers of sacred rites — blazing in splendor equal to the sun, and powerful enough to illuminate Brahmā's world.

1.59.37 Thus has this origin of lineages been told to you — of the vigorous asuras and the gods — as I have heard it in the Purāṇa.

1.59.38 The offspring of these beings — qualities included — cannot be fully enumerated in its entirety, O lord of the earth; it is without end.

1.59.39 Tārkṣya, Ariṣṭanemi, and likewise Garuḍa and Aruṇa; Āruṇi and Vāruṇī — these are remembered as the sons of Vinatā.

1.59.40 Śeṣa, Ananta, Vāsuki, the serpent Takṣaka, Kurma, and Kulika — these mighty sons of Kadrū are the Kadruveyas.

1.59.41 Bhīmasena, Ugrasena, Suparṇa, and Varuṇa; Gopati, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Suryavarchas the seventh —

1.59.42 — Puravin, Arkaparna, and the renowned Prayuta; the celebrated Bhīma and Citraratha, known as all-knowing and self-controlled —

1.59.43 — and Shalishira, O king, Pradyumna the fourteenth, Kali the fifteenth, and Nārada the sixteenth — thus are these divine gandharvas, the Mauneyas, enumerated.

1.59.44 Now I shall name other beings, O Bhārata. Prava gave birth to: the blameless Anuvasham, Anunam, Aruṇa, Priya, Anūpa, Subhaga, and Bhasi.

1.59.45 Siddha, Purna, Barhi, the greatly renowned Purnasha, Brahmacārī, Ratiguṇa, and Suparṇa the seventh —

1.59.46 — Viśvāvasu, Bhānu, and Sucandra the tenth: thus are these divine gandharvas, the sons of Prava, enumerated.

1.59.47 This lineage of the apsaras, known for its auspicious qualities — the highly blessed goddess Prava bore it long ago, as received from the divine sages.

1.59.48 Alambusā, Miśrakeśī, Vidyutparṇa, Tulanagha, Aruṇā, Rakshita, Rambhā, and likewise Manoramā —

1.59.49 — Asita, Subāhu, Suvrata, Subhuja, Supriya, and Atibahu; and the renowned Hāhā, Hūhū, and Tumburu are remembered as the four foremost gandharvas.

1.59.50 Amrita, brahmanas, cows, gandharvas, and apsaras — these are celebrated in the Purāṇa as the offspring of Kapila.

1.59.51 Thus has the origin of all beings been told to you by me, counted out correctly, and likewise that of the gandharvas and apsaras.

1.59.52 Of serpents and of suparnas, of the Rudras and the Maruts, of cows and of brahmanas — of the glorious ones of meritorious deeds.

1.59.53 This account is life-prolonging, meritorious, and enriching; it is pleasant to hear, should always be listened to, and should be narrated with a heart free from envy.

1.59.54 Whoever recites this lineage of great souls with discipline in the presence of brahmanas and gods gains abundant progeny, prosperity, and renown, and after death an excellent destination.

1.60.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The six great sages, known as the mind-born sons of Brahmā, are well known. The eleven supremely mind-born sons of Sthāṇu (Śiva) are also renowned.

1.60.2 Mṛgavyādha, Śarva, the greatly renowned Nirṛti; Ajaikapat, Ahirbudhnya, and Pinākī the scorcher of foes —

1.60.3 — Dahana, Ishvara, Kapālī of great splendor, Sthāṇu, and the lord Bhava: these are remembered as the eleven Rudras.

1.60.4 Marīci, Aṅgiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu — these six are the mighty great-sage sons of Brahmā.

1.60.5 Aṅgiras had three sons renowned everywhere in the world: Bṛhaspati, Utathya, and Saṃvarta — all firm in their vows.

1.60.6 Atri had many sons, O lord of men — all knowers of the Vedas, perfected, tranquil-souled great sages, as is told.

1.60.7 Rākṣasas came from Pulastya, as did vanaras and kinnaras. From Pulaha came deer, lions, tigers, and kimpurushas.

1.60.8 Kratu's sons are equal to Kratu himself in power, companions of birds in flight, renowned throughout the three worlds, and wholly devoted to the vow of truth.

1.60.9 Dakṣa, the blessed sage, was born from the right thumb of Brahmā, O protector of the earth — the best of those who have sons.

1.60.10 From Brahmā's left thumb was born the wife of that great-souled one; and the sage himself fathered fifty daughters upon her.

1.60.11 All those daughters, faultless-limbed and lotus-eyed, the Prajāpati appointed as putrikas (daughters serving as sons), since he had no sons.

1.60.12 He gave ten to Dharma, twenty-seven to Soma (the moon), by divine rule, O king, and thirteen to Kaśyapa.

1.60.13 Learn from me the names of those wives of Dharma as I recite them: Kirti, Lakṣmī, Dhrti, Medha, Pushti, Śraddhā, and Kriya —

1.60.14 — Buddhi, Lajja, and Mati: these are the ten wives of Dharma. These are the gateways of Dharma appointed by the Self-born.

1.60.15 The twenty-seven wives of Soma are celebrated in the world; engaged in guiding time, wives of the moon, of pure vows, all connected to the nakshatras, established in the order of the world's journey.

1.60.16 The grandfather Muni is a god; his son is the Prajāpati (Dharma). That one had eight Vasus as sons — I shall speak of them in detail.

1.60.17 Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Aha, Anila, Anala, Pratyūṣa, and Prabhāsa — these are remembered as the eight Vasus.

1.60.18 Dhara is the son of Dhūmra, and similarly Dhruva is a knower of Brahmā. Soma is the son of Manasvinī; from Shvasa came Shvasana (Anila, the wind).

1.60.19 Aha is the son of Rata; Hutāśana (fire) is the son of Śāṇḍilya. Pratyūṣa and Prabhāsa are remembered as the two sons of Prabhata.

1.60.20 The sons of Dhara are Dravina and Hutahavyavaha (carrier of oblations). The son of Dhruva is the blessed Kāla, who brings about the dissolution of the worlds.

1.60.21 Soma's son is Varcha, by whom the radiant are born. From Manohara were born Shishira, Prāṇa, and Ramana.

1.60.22 The sons of Aha are remembered as Jyoti, Shrama, Śānta, and Muni. The son of Agni (Anala) is the glorious Kumāra, who dwells in the shara-grass forest.

1.60.23 His sons are Shakha, Viśākha, and Naigameṣa born from his back. Because the Kṛttikās adopted him, he is remembered as Kārttikeya.

1.60.24 Śiva is the wife of Anila (the wind god); her son is Purojava. Avijnatagati is the other — these are the two sons of Anila.

1.60.25 Pratyūṣa's son is known as the sage named Devala. Devala also had two sons — patient and wise.

1.60.26 Bṛhaspati's sister, a noble woman, a celibate ascetic, accomplished in yoga, roams the entire world unattached — she is the wife of Prabhāsa, the eighth of the Vasus.

1.60.27 The greatly blessed Viśvakarmā was born — the Prajāpati of crafts, the maker of thousands of works of art, the carpenter of the thirty gods.

1.60.28 He is the maker of all ornaments, the foremost among artisans, who fashioned the celestial aerial chariots of the gods.

1.60.29 Men live by the craft of that great-souled one, and they worship the imperishable Viśvakarmā without ceasing.

1.60.30 Bursting through the right breast of Brahmā in human form, the blessed Dharma issued forth — he who brings happiness to all the worlds.

1.60.31 He has three excellent sons, delightful to all beings — Śama (Tranquility), Kāma (Desire), and Harṣa (Joy) — who by their radiance sustain the worlds.

1.60.32 Rati (Delight) is the wife of Kāma; Prāpti (Attainment) is the consort of Śama; and Nandī (Bliss) is the wife of Harṣa — in whom the worlds are established.

1.60.33 Kaśyapa is the son of Marīci; from Kaśyapa were born the gods and the asuras, O tiger among kings — he is indeed the progenitor of the worlds.

1.60.34 Tvāṣṭrī, the greatly blessed wife of Savitṛ, assuming the form of a mare, gave birth in the sky to both the Aśvins.

1.60.35 Aditi has exactly twelve sons, headed by Indra, O lord of men; the youngest of them is Viṣṇu, in whom the worlds are established.

1.60.36 These are the thirty-three gods. I shall now declare to you their lineages, their factions, their clans, and their groups.

1.60.37 Know the Bhārgavas as belonging to the other faction of the Rudras, the Sādhyas, the Maruts, the Vasus, and the Viśvedevas as well.

1.60.38 The mighty Garuḍa, son of Vinatā, and likewise Aruṇa, and the blessed Bṛhaspati — these are reckoned among the Ādityas.

1.60.39 Know the Guhyakas, all medicinal herbs, and animals as belonging to the Aśvins. O king, this host of gods has been proclaimed to you in order; a person who recites this list is freed from all sins.

1.60.40 The blessed Bhṛgu issued forth by splitting open the heart of Brahmā. The son of Bhṛgu is Kavi, the wise one; Śukra is the son of Kavi, and he became a planet (graha).

1.60.41 Appointed by the Self-born (Brahmā) for the regulation of the life-journey of the three worlds, governing rain and drought, fear and safety, he courses through the universe.

1.60.42 He became the teacher of Yoga, of great intellect, the preceptor of the Daityas and also of the gods — supremely wise, observing celibacy and firm in his vows.

1.60.43 When that Bhārgava was appointed by the Lord for the welfare of the worlds, Bhṛgu sired another blameless son.

1.60.44 That son was Cyavana, blazing with ascetic power, righteous in soul and wise — he who fell from the womb in anger for the liberation of his mother, O Bhārata.

1.60.45 Āruṣī, the daughter of Manu, became the wife of that wise one (Cyavana). From her was born the greatly renowned Aurva, ripping through the thigh — endowed with mighty austerity, great radiance, and all virtues even as a child.

1.60.46 Ṛcīka was the son of Aurva; from him was born Jamadagni. The great-souled Jamadagni had four sons.

1.60.47 Rāma was the youngest of them, yet endowed with qualities not of the least — skilled in all weapons and missiles, the destroyer of the Kṣatriyas, and master of himself.

1.60.48 Aurva had a hundred sons, headed by Jamadagni; from them arose thousands of descendants — this is the expansion of the Bhṛgu lineage.

1.60.49 Brahmā has two other sons by whose marks the world is governed — Dhātā and Vidhātā, who dwell together with Manu.

1.60.50 The auspicious goddess Lakṣmī, dwelling in the lotus, is the sister of those two. Her mind-born sons are the horses that move through the sky.

1.60.51 The eldest wife of Varuṇa, a goddess, was born from Śukra (Śukrā). Know her son to be Bala (Strength), and also Surā (Wine), the delight of the gods.

1.60.52 Among the creatures who hungered for food and who fell to devouring one another, Adharma (Unrighteousness) arose there — the destroyer of all beings.

1.60.53 His wife is Nirṛti; from her the Nairṛta Rākṣasas arise. She has three sons, ever given to wicked deeds: Bhaya (Fear), Mahābhaya (Great Fear), and Mṛtyu (Death), the ender of beings.

1.60.54 The goddess Tāmrā gave birth to five daughters, renowned throughout the world: Kākī, Śyenī, Bhāsī, Dhṛtarāṣṭrī, and Śukī.

1.60.55 Kākī gave birth to owls; Śyenī bore hawks; Bhāsī brought forth vultures and kites, O lord of the people.

1.60.56 Dhṛtarāṣṭrī — that spirited one — gave birth to swans, royal swans, and chakravāka birds in full, blessings to you.

1.60.57 O knower of righteousness, Śukī — high-minded, endowed with auspicious qualities, honored by all marks of excellence — gave birth only to parrots.

1.60.58 Krodhavaśa also gave birth to nine daughters of her own: Mṛgī, Mṛgamandā, Hari, and Bhadramanā —

1.60.59 — and Mātaṅgī, Śārdūlī, Śvetā, Surabhī endowed with all auspicious marks, and the illustrious Surasā.

1.60.60 All deer are the offspring of Mṛgī, O son of the best of men. From Mṛgamandā came bears, sṛmaras (a deer species), and yaks.

1.60.61 From Bhadramanā was born the great serpent Airāvata as her son; Airāvata's son is the divine elephant Mahāgaja.

1.60.62 The offspring of Hari are the lions and the swift monkeys; the golāṅgūlas too — blessings to you — are called the children of Hari.

1.60.63 And Śārdūlī gave birth to lions, tigers, and leopards, O Bhārata — all of them, O greatly fortunate one, without doubt.

1.60.64 The offspring of Mātaṅgī are the mātaṅgas (elephants), O lord of men. And Śvetā gave birth to the swift directional elephant called Śveta.

1.60.65 Likewise, O king, Surabhī gave birth to two daughters — blessings to you — Rohiṇī and the illustrious Gandharvī. From Rohiṇī were born cattle, and from Gandharvī her sons were horses.

1.60.66 Surasā gave birth to nāgas, O king, and Kadrū brought forth serpents. Analā also gave birth to seven trees bearing round fruits. Śukī is the daughter of Analā, and Surasā is the daughter of Kadrū.

1.60.67 Śyenī, the wife of Aruṇa, gave birth to Saṃpāti and likewise Jaṭāyu — two mighty, powerful sons. And Vinatā's two famous sons are Garuḍa and Aruṇa.

1.60.68 Thus has the origin of all these great beings been fully proclaimed by me, O lord of men, O best of the wise.

1.60.69 Having properly heard this, a person is purified of sin, attains omniscience, and finds the highest path.

1.61.1 Janamejaya said: O blessed one, I wish to hear truly about the births and deeds of all these great-souled beings — gods, dānavas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, and all other beings —

1.61.2 — how they were born among men, and their deeds, in proper order.

1.61.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: O lord of men, I shall tell you in full about those heavenly beings and also the dānavas who were born among humans — them first.

1.61.4 He who was known as Vipracitti, the bull among dānavas — he was born among men as the famous Jarāsaṃdha, the bull among men.

1.61.5 He who, O king, is remembered as Hiraṇyakaśipu, son of Diti — he was born in the human world as Śiśupāla, the bull among men.

1.61.6 He who was famed as Saṃhrāda, the younger brother of Prahrāda — he was born as the renowned Śalya, the bull of the Bāhlīkas.

1.61.7 The radiant Anuhrāda, who was known as the lastborn, became famed as Dhṛṣṭaketu, a lord among men.

1.61.8 He who, O king, was celebrated as the Daitya named Śibi — he was widely known as Druma and was a king on earth.

1.61.9 He among them who was the excellent asura named Bāṣkala — he was known as Bhagadatta and was a lord among men.

1.61.10 Ayaḥśirā, Aśvaśirā, the valiant Ayaḥśaṅku, Gaganamūrdhā, and Vegavān as the fifth —

1.61.11 — these five valiant great asuras were born, O king, as great-souled ones among the Kekayas, the very best of royal bulls.

1.61.12 He who was otherwise known as the glorious Ketumān — he became known on earth as Amitaujā, a king.

1.61.13 He who was the glorious great asura known as Svarbhānu — he became known as Ugrasena, the fierce-actioned lord of men.

1.61.14 He who was the glorious great asura known as Aśva — he became the king named Aśoka, of mighty valor and prowess.

1.61.15 He who was the younger brother of that one, O king, remembered as the Daitya Aśvapati — he became the king Hārdikya, the bull among men.

1.61.16 He who was the glorious great asura known as Vṛṣaparvan — he became known on earth as Dīrghaprajña, a king.

1.61.17 He who was the younger brother of Vṛṣaparvan, O king — Ajaka — became known on earth as Malla, a king.

1.61.18 He who was the powerful great asura known as Aśvagrīva — he became known on earth as Rocamāna, a king.

1.61.19 He who was celebrated, O king, as Sūkṣma, the wise and the famous — he became known on earth as Bṛhanta, a king.

1.61.20 He who was known as Tuhuṇḍa, the foremost among asuras — he became known as Senābindu, a lord of men.

1.61.21 He among those asuras named Isṛpā, who was supreme in strength — he became the king named Pāpajit on earth, renowned for his valor.

1.61.22 He who was known as the great asura Ekacakra — he became renowned on earth as Prativindhya.

1.61.23 The Daitya Virūpākṣa, a great asura of variegated warfare — he was known on earth as Citravarman and was a king.

1.61.24 He who was the heroic foremost of dānavas, Hara (or Arihara) — he was born as the bull among men known as Suvāstu.

1.61.25 Ahara, of great radiance, the destroyer of the enemy's side — he became the king renowned on earth as Bāhlika.

1.61.26 He who was the foremost asura known as Nicandra Candravaktra — the glorious Muñjakeśa was that king on earth.

1.61.27 Nikumbha, unvanquished in battle, of great intellect, was born on earth as the best of kings, remembered as Devādhipa.

1.61.28 He among those Daityas who was the great asura named Śarabha — he became the royal sage named Paurava here among men.

1.61.29 He who was the second among those asuras, named Śalabha — he became the lord of men known as Bāhlika Prahrāda.

1.61.30 Candra, the foremost of Diti's sons, comparable to the lord of stars, became the royal sage named Ṛṣika, the best of kings.

1.61.31 He who was known as Mṛtapā, the foremost of asuras — know that king as the lord of the western marshlands, O best of kings.

1.61.32 Gaviṣṭha, of great radiance, who was celebrated as a great asura — he became known on earth as Drumasena, a king.

1.61.33 He who was the glorious great asura known as Mayūra — he became renowned as Viśva and was a lord of the earth.

1.61.34 He who was the younger brother of that one, known as Suparṇa — he became known on earth as Kālakīrti, a king.

1.61.35 He among them who was celebrated as the pre-eminent asura Candrahanta — he became the royal sage named Śunaka, a lord of men.

1.61.36 He who was named the great asura Vināśana of the moon — he became the royal sage named Jānakī, a lord of men.

1.61.37 He who was called Dīrghajihva, the bull among dānavas, O descendant of the Kurus — he became known on earth as the Kāśirāja, lord of the earth.

1.61.38 The demon Siṃhī gave birth to that Graha who oppresses the moon and sun; he became known among men as King Krātha.

1.61.39 The foremost among the four sons of Anāyus was the powerful demon Vikṣara; that radiant one became King Vasumitra among men.

1.61.40 The second after Vikṣara, O lord of men, was a great demon who became king renowned as the lord of Pāṃsurāṣṭra.

1.61.41 He who was known as Balavīra, that foremost of demons, became the king called the lord of Pauṇḍramatsyaka among men.

1.61.42 He who was widely renowned as Vṛtra, that great demon, O king, became the royal sage known as Maṇimān, a lord of men.

1.61.43 The demon who was Vṛtra's younger brother, known as Krodhahantā, became the king on earth widely renowned as Daṇḍa.

1.61.44 He who was known as Krodhavardhana became the lord of men known as Daṇḍadhāra.

1.61.45 The sons of Kālakā — eight of them were born as lords of men, O tiger among kings, with valor equal to a tiger.

1.61.46 Among the Māgadhas, the illustrious Jayatsena was king; he was the foremost of those eight sons of Kālakā, that great demon.

1.61.47 The second among them, illustrious as Indra's steed, became the lord of men known as Aparājita, the unconquered.

1.61.48 The third, O great king, was a great demon of mighty arms who was born on earth as the lord of the Niṣādas, of fearsome valor.

1.61.49 He who is listed as the fourth among them became known on earth as Śreṇimān, the foremost of royal sages.

1.61.50 The fifth, who was the foremost great demon among them, became known here as Mahaujā, the scourge of foes.

1.61.51 The sixth, who was the wise great demon among them, became known on earth as Abhīru, the foremost of royal sages.

1.61.52 From that same group, the king Samudrasena was born, renowned across the sea-girdled earth, versed in the truth of righteousness and worldly gain.

1.61.53 Named Bṛhan, the eighth of those sons of Kālakā, O king, was a scorcher of foes, righteous in soul and devoted to the welfare of all beings.

1.61.54 The demonic host known as the Krodhavaśas, which I have enumerated for you, O king — from them were born heroes here on earth as lords of men.

1.61.55 Nandika, Karṇaveṣṭa, Siddhārtha, Kīṭaka, Suvīra, Subāhu, Mahāvīra, and Bāhlika —

1.61.56 Krodha, Vicitya, Surasā, the illustrious Nīla the earth-lord, Vīradhāman, and the one named Bhūmipāla, O descendant of Kuru —

1.61.57 Dantavaktra by name, Durjaya by name, Rukmī the tiger among kings, and King Janamejaya —

1.61.58 Āṣāḍha, Vāyuvega, Bhūritejas, Ekalavya, Sumitrā, Vāṭadhāna, and Gomukha —

1.61.59 The Kārūṣaka kings, Kṣemadhūrti, Śrutāyus, Uddhava, and Bṛhatsena as well —

1.61.60 Kṣemogratīrtha, Kuhara the lord of men among the Kaliṅgas, Matimān, and the one renowned as Īśvara, O lord of men —

1.61.61 From the Krodhavaśa host there thus arose on earth a multitude of kings, born in ancient times, O great king, of great fame and great strength.

1.61.62 He who was the chief lord of the Gandharvas, named Devaka, equal in splendor to the king of the gods, was born on earth as a lord of men.

1.61.63 Know, O descendant of Bharata, that Droṇa son of Bharadvāja, not born of a womb, arose from a portion of the divine sage Bṛhaspati of great renown.

1.61.64 He who was that Bṛhatkīrti of great radiance, the foremost knower of all weapons among archers, was born here among men, O tiger among kings.

1.61.65 Him whom those versed in the Vedas know as the supreme one in the science of archery and in the Veda, who performs deeds like Indra — that Droṇa, the enhancer of his lineage.

1.61.66 From the combined essence of Mahādeva and Antaka, from both desire and wrath, O descendant of Bharata, was born that hero, the scourge of foes.

1.61.67 Aśvatthāman of great valor, destroyer of the enemy host, that hero with eyes like lotus petals, was a lord of men upon the earth, O king.

1.61.68 The eight Vasus were born as sons of Śaṃtanu upon the Gaṅgā, both by the curse of Vasiṣṭha and by the command of Vāsava.

1.61.69 The youngest of them, Bhīṣma, the bestower of fearlessness upon the Kurus — wise, versed in the Veda, eloquent, and destroyer of the enemy host.

1.61.70 He who was the foremost among all knowers of wisdom, that greatly radiant one, fought with Rāma son of Jamadagni, the great-souled Bhārgava.

1.61.71 He who became the brahmarṣi known as Kṛpa upon the earth, O king — know him to have arisen from the host of the Rudras, of surpassing manhood.

1.61.72 He who was the great warrior King Śakuni in the world — know him, O king, to have arisen as the Dvāpara age incarnate, the crusher of foes.

1.61.73 Sātyaki, true to his word, the exalter of the Vṛṣṇi clan — that crusher of foes was born from a portion of the Marut gods.

1.61.74 Drupada too, the royal sage, arose from that same host and was born in this human world, O king, the foremost of all who bear weapons.

1.61.75 And know Kṛtavarmā, O king, that lord of people, to have been born as one beyond recompense, the very finest bull among kṣatriya sages.

1.61.76 Know the royal sage named Virāṭa, who terrorized the kingdoms of his rivals, to have been born from the host of the Maruts, a crusher of foes.

1.61.77 The son of Ariṣṭā widely known as Haṃsa — that chief of Gandharvas was born as an enhancer of the Kuru lineage.

1.61.78 Known as Dhṛtarāṣṭra, born also through Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, the long-armed, greatly radiant lord of men who sees through wisdom — yet by reason of his mother's fault and the sage's wrath, he was born blind.

1.61.79 Know Vidura, born in this world as the most blessed and finest son among those who have sons, to be an incarnation of Atri, the foremost among the wise.

1.61.80 From a portion of Kali was born on earth King Duryodhana — of wicked mind, wicked intellect, the one who brought disgrace upon the Kurus.

1.61.81 He who was that embodiment of Kali, hated by the whole world, that lowest of men who caused the slaughter of all the earth — through whom the great enmity was kindled that brought destruction to all living beings.

1.61.82 All the brothers, sons of Pulastya's lineage, were born among men here — the hundred headed by Duḥśāsana, all of cruel deeds.

1.61.83 Durmukha, Duḥsaha, and the others who are not individually named — all those helpers of Duryodhana are sons of Pulastya's line, O bull among the Bhāratas.

1.61.84 Know King Yudhiṣṭhira to be a portion of Dharma, O king; Bhīmasena a portion of the Wind god; and Arjuna a portion of the king of gods.

1.61.85 Likewise Nakula and Sahadeva are portions of the twin Aśvins, peerless in beauty upon earth, captivating the hearts of all the worlds.

1.61.86 He who was known as Suvarcā, the mighty son of the Moon god — that Abhimanyu of great fame became the son of Arjuna.

1.61.87 Know Dhṛṣṭadyumna, that great warrior, to be a portion of Fire; and know Śikhaṇḍin, O king, who was both woman and man, to be a Rākṣasa.

1.61.88 The five sons of Draupadī who were born, O bull among the Bhāratas — know them, O king, to be members of the Viśvedeva host, O bull among the Bhāratas.

1.61.89 Karṇa, that great warrior who was born with armor already upon him — know him to be the incomparable portion of the Sun god, the resplendent deity.

1.61.90 He who is known as Nārāyaṇa, the eternal god of gods — his portion among humans was the mighty Vāsudeva.

1.61.91 Baladeva of great strength was a portion of the serpent Śeṣa; know Pradyumna, O king, to be the mighty Sanatkumāra.

1.61.92 Thus many other portions of the celestials were born as enhancers of Vāsudeva's clan, O lord of men.

1.61.93 The host of Apsarases which I have enumerated for you, O king — a portion of them was born on earth also by the command of Vāsava.

1.61.94 Those sixteen thousand divine women, O lord of men, became in the human world the consorts of Nārāyaṇa.

1.61.95 A portion of Śrī was born for the purpose of desire upon the surface of the earth — a blameless maiden arising from the midst of the sacrificial altar in the family of Drupada.

1.61.96 Neither too short nor too tall, fragrant as the blue lotus, with long lotus-shaped eyes, lovely hips, and long dark hair —

1.61.97 Endowed with all auspicious marks, resembling a vaiḍūrya gem, she was in private the one who bewildered the minds of five lords among men.

1.61.98 The two goddesses Siddhi and Dhṛti were born as the mothers of the five — Kuntī and Mādrī; and Mati was born as the daughter of Subala.

1.61.99 Thus has been recounted for you, O king, the descent of portions of gods and demons, of Gandharvas and Apsarases, and of Rākṣasas.

1.61.100 The kings born on earth, intoxicated with battle, and the great-souled ones born in the vast clan of the Yadus —

1.61.101 This account of the descent of portions is auspicious, fame-giving, conducive to offspring, life-extending, and victory-bringing — it should be heard without envy.

1.61.102 A wise man who hears this account of the descent of portions of gods, Gandharvas, and Rākṣasas, knowing their origin and dissolution, does not sink in times of distress.

1.62.1 Janamejaya said: I have heard from you, O brahmin, the full account of the descent of portions of gods, demons, and Rākṣasas, and likewise of Gandharvas and Apsarases.

1.62.2 But I wish to hear further from you, O learned one, the lineage of the Kurus from the very beginning, narrated in the presence of this assembly of brahmin sages.

1.62.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The perpetuator of the Paurava lineage was the valorous king named Duḥṣanta, the protector of the four-cornered earth, O foremost of the Bhāratas.

1.62.4 That lord of men enjoyed a full quarter of the entire earth, and that conqueror in battle also held the ocean-girdled lands.

1.62.5 That crusher of foes enjoyed all the lands of the border peoples and forest dwellers, the lands extending to the jewel-bearing sea, inhabited by peoples of the four classes.

1.62.6 There was no one who caused the mixing of castes, no one who refused to till the land, no evildoer whatsoever while that king was ruling.

1.62.7 Pursuing lawful pleasures, men then attained both righteousness and wealth, O tiger among men, under that lord of the realm.

1.62.8 There was no fear of thieves, dear one, not the slightest fear of hunger, and no fear of disease either under that lord of the realm.

1.62.9 The castes delighted in their own duties, desireless in their divine observances; having taken refuge in that guardian of the earth, they were free from fear from any quarter.

1.62.10 Rain fell in its proper season, crops bore fruit abundantly, and the earth, the treasure-bearer, was rich with all gems at that time.

1.62.11 And he, of marvelous great valor, youthful and firm as the thunderbolt, could lift Mount Mandara with his two arms and carry it along with its forest of soma-pressing trees.

1.62.12 In archery, in mace combat, in fighting with sword and hilt, on elephant-back, and on horseback, he was fully accomplished.

1.62.13 In strength he was equal to Viṣṇu, in splendor like the sun, in imperturbability like the ocean, in forbearance like the earth.

1.62.14 That guardian of the earth, honored by all, his city and kingdom contented, dwelt among the people he knew well, with dispositions ever devoted to righteousness.

1.63.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Once that long-armed one, possessed of abundant troops and vehicles, went into a dense forest, surrounded by hundreds of horses and elephants.

1.63.2 He went out surrounded by hundreds of warriors bearing swords and spears, holding maces and clubs in their hands, and carrying lances and javelins.

1.63.3 With the lion-roars of the warriors and the sounds of conch-shells and kettledrums, with the rumble of chariot-wheels and the trumpeting of great elephants,

1.63.4 Mixed with the neighing of horses and the sounds of war-cries and clapping of arms, a great tumultuous noise arose as the king set forth.

1.63.5 Women standing on the upper terraces of the finest palace beheld him, the hero who was the maker of his own glory, resplendent with the full majesty of a king.

1.63.6 The groups of women gazing upon that slayer of enemies, who was like Indra himself and was a great elephant against the elephants of his foes, bearing weapons in hand, were filled with wonder.

1.63.7 "This is that tiger among men, of wondrous valor in battle — having encountered the might of whose arms, the hosts of enemies survive no more."

1.63.8 Thus speaking, those women praised the lord of men with great affection and showered a rain of flowers upon his head.

1.63.9 Praised on all sides by foremost brahmins, he departed with great joy into the forest, eager to hunt deer.

1.63.10 The townspeople and country-folk followed him a great distance, then turned back when they had been dismissed by the king.

1.63.11 Then that lord of the earth, with a chariot swift as Garuḍa, filled the earth and the heavens alike with its thunderous noise.

1.63.12 As he traveled, that wise one beheld a forest resembling Nandana, strewn with bel, arka, and khadira trees, and crowded with kapittha and dhava trees.

1.63.13 It was uneven with mountain slopes and strewn with rocks, waterless and uninhabited by humans, extending for many leagues, filled with terrifying herds of deer and other creatures of the forest.

1.63.14 That tiger among men, Duḥṣanta, together with his retinue and his army and its mounts, roused that forest and slew various kinds of deer.

1.63.15 Duḥṣanta struck down many groups of tigers that came within arrow-range, piercing them through with his shafts.

1.63.16 That bull among men split those at a distance with arrows, while others that came near he cut down with his sword.

1.63.17 He slew certain black deer with his spear, that foremost of the mighty, skilled in the art of wielding the mace in circles, ranging about with boundless valor.

1.63.18 He ranged through the forest striking down the wild deer and birds with javelins, swords, maces, clubs, and short swords.

1.63.19 The great beasts abandoned the vast forest as it was beaten through by that king of wondrous valor and by his battle-loving warriors.

1.63.20 The herds of deer there, their leaders slain and their groups scattered, cried out here and there in their distress.

1.63.21 Reaching a dry river, emaciated from the hopelessness of finding water, their hearts exhausted from exertion, they fell senseless to the ground.

1.63.22 Overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, weary and fallen to the earth, some among them were devoured there by the hungry tiger-men.

1.63.23 Then some forest-dwellers, having kindled fire, properly chopped the flesh and ate it in the prescribed manner.

1.63.24 There some mighty elephants, maddened and wounded by weapons, drew in their trunks in fear and fled with great speed.

1.63.25 Voiding their dung and urine and streaming much blood, those great wild elephants there trampled many men to death.

1.63.26 That forest, thick with buffaloes, with its great animals slain, covered by the king as a cloud of force by its torrents of arrows, shone brilliantly.

1.64.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, having slain thousands of deer, that king with his great army entered yet another forest in pursuit of game.

1.64.2 Alone now, that one of supreme strength, afflicted by hunger and thirst, reached the end of the forest and came to a vast barren wasteland.

1.64.3 Having crossed even that, the king came to another great forest, endowed with the finest hermitages, delightful to the mind, charming to the eye, and touched by cool breezes.

1.64.4 Filled with flowering trees, exceedingly pleasant with lush grass, vast, and resonant with the sweet calls of birds —

1.64.5 Covered by trees with great spreading boughs offering cool shade, its vines swayed by bees, endowed with supreme beauty —

1.64.6 In that forest, not a single tree was without flowers, not one was without fruit, none had thorns, and none was without its covering of bees.

1.64.7 Resounding with birds, adorned most beautifully with flowers, with trees bearing blossoms of every season, exceedingly pleasant and delightful — that great archer entered this finest of forests.

1.64.8 There, the flower-laden trees loosened by the wind shed again and again a variegated rain of blossoms.

1.64.9 The trees touching the sky, resounding with birds of sweet voices, shone there in their garments of many-colored flowers.

1.64.10 On the tender shoots of those trees, bending under the weight of blossoms, the birds cried out softly together with the bees.

1.64.11 Beholding many a spot there adorned with heaps of flowers, enclosed by bowers of creepers, filling the heart with joy, that one of great splendor became filled with delight.

1.64.12 With trees whose branches intertwined with one another, laden with blossoms, resembling the banner-poles of great Indra, that forest shone magnificently.

1.64.13 A breeze, pleasantly cool and fragrant, carrying the pollen of flowers, moved through the forest as if approaching the trees out of a desire to play.

1.64.14 The king beheld this forest, endowed with such qualities, beautiful as the Mālinī riverbank, resembling a lofty banner.

1.64.15 And while he was gazing at that forest filled with joyful birds, he also saw a most charming and lovely hermitage.

1.64.16 It was filled with many kinds of trees, its sacred fires blazing brightly, surrounded by ascetics and Vālakhilya sages, attended by troops of holy men.

1.64.17 With many fire-shrines, its floor spread with flower offerings, and radiant with large, spacious enclosures, it shone brilliantly.

1.64.18 O king, on the banks of the holy Mālinī river with its pleasant waters, crowded with many flocks of birds, the hermitage-grove delightful — beholding there the gentle wild creatures, he was filled with joy.

1.64.19 That foremost of chariot-warriors, glorious, arrived at that hermitage, which resembled the world of the gods and was beautiful in every direction.

1.64.20 He saw the river intertwined with the hermitage, its waters holy, standing there like a mother to all living creatures.

1.64.21 Its sandbars graced with cakravāka birds, flowing with foam and flowers, the home of troops of Kiṃnaras, frequented by monkeys and bears —

1.64.22 Resounding with holy recitation, beautified by its sandbars, visited by maddened elephants, tigers, and great serpents —

1.64.23 Having seen the river thus joined to the hermitage, and the hermitage itself, that lord of the earth resolved then to enter it.

1.64.24 Adorned by the island-graced Mālinī with her lovely banks, the abode of Nara and Nārāyaṇa, beautified like the Gaṅgā, resonant with intoxicated peacocks — he entered that great forest.

1.64.25 That lord of men, approaching what resembled the garden of Citra-ratha, endowed with manifold excellences and unsurpassed in splendor, then wished to see the great seer Kaṇva, the Kāśyapa, rich in austerities.

1.64.26 He stationed his army at the forest gate — chariots, horses crowded together, and masses of infantry — and spoke thus:

1.64.27 "I shall go to see the pure sage Kāśyapa, that storehouse of austerities. Remain here until I return."

1.64.28 Having entered that forest resembling Nandana, that lord of men, the king, shed his hunger and thirst and was filled with great rejoicing.

1.64.29 That lord of men, accompanied by his minister and chaplain, having set aside the marks of kingship, went to that excellent hermitage, wishing to see that undying mass of ascetic merit, the sage.

1.64.30 Beholding that hermitage resembling the world of Brahmā, resounding with the songs of bees, filled with many groups of brahmins,

1.64.31 That tiger among men heard the Ṛgvedic hymns being set in motion by foremost Ṛgvedins with their metrical progressions at the various rites being performed there.

1.64.32 The hermitage then shone with those of boundless spirit, well-disciplined, expert in the supplementary sciences of sacrifice, proceeding through their progressions in sequence.

1.64.33 Foremost among Atharva-Vedins, honored by assemblies of sacrificers, they chanted the Saṃhitā with its pada and krama recitations.

1.64.34 With other brahmins reciting with proper grammatical refinement, that glorious hermitage rang out, gleaming like the world of Brahmā.

1.64.35 With those expert in sacrificial rites, skilled in sequential recitation training, endowed with the knowledge of logical principles and true meanings, who had crossed to the far shore of the Vedas —

1.64.36 Skilled in the synthesis and combination of various textual statements, knowledgeable in special rites, devoted to the dharma of liberation —

1.64.37 Those who had attained mastery of establishing propositions, refuting objections, and knowing ultimate truths, together with foremost Lokāyata philosophers — with all of these it resounded on every side.

1.64.38 Here and there he saw foremost brahmins, self-disciplined, firm in their vows, devoted to silent recitation and fire offerings — perfected sages. That destroyer of enemy heroes was filled with wonder.

1.64.39 Beholding the varied seats adorned with flowers, carefully arranged, that lord of the earth was struck with wonder.

1.64.40 Seeing the worship of the divine shrines performed by the brahmins, that best of kings imagined himself to be dwelling in the world of Brahmā.

1.64.41 He could not satisfy himself gazing at that excellent and auspicious hermitage protected by the austerities of the Kāśyapa, filled with troops of those rich in penance.

1.64.42 He, the destroyer of enemies, together with his minister and chaplain, entered the abode of the Kāśyapa, surrounded on all sides by sages of great vows and rich in austerities — a solitary, supremely charming, and auspicious place.

1.65.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, going forward, that mighty-armed one, having dismissed his ministers, did not see in that hermitage the sage firm in his vows.

1.65.2 Not finding that sage and seeing the hermitage empty, he called out loudly, "Who is here?" as if making the forest ring with his voice.

1.65.3 Then, hearing that sound of his, a maiden came forth from that hermitage, beautiful as Śrī herself, wearing the garb of an ascetic.

1.65.4 She, dark-eyed, upon seeing king Duḥṣanta, at once said "Welcome to you" and honored him with due ceremony.

1.65.5 Having honored him with a seat and with water for the feet and the ritual offering, she inquired after the lord of men's health and well-being, O king.

1.65.6 Having honored him duly and inquired about his well-being, she said with a gentle smile: "What may be done for you?"

1.65.7 Then the king, having been duly honored, spoke to that sweet-spoken maiden with her flawless limbs:

1.65.8 "I have come to pay homage to the greatly blessed sage Kaṇva. Where has the venerable one gone, dear lady? Tell me, O lovely one."

1.65.9 Śakuntalā said: My father the venerable one has gone from the hermitage to gather fruits. Wait a moment — you shall see him return here.

1.65.10 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Not seeing the sage, spoken to thus by her, the king, beholding that woman of noble hips, radiant with beauty, and lovely of smile —

1.65.11 Shining with her beauty and with asceticism and self-discipline, endowed with form and youth — thus the lord of the earth spoke:

1.65.12 "Who are you, O lovely-hipped one? Whose are you? Why have you come to the forest, endowed with such beauty and qualities? Whence are you, O fair one?"

1.65.13 "By the mere sight of you, O auspicious one, my heart has been stolen away. I wish to know you — tell me, O lovely one."

1.65.14 Thus addressed by the king there in the hermitage, the maiden spoke these words with a smile, in syllables most sweet.

1.65.15 "O Duṣyanta, I am considered the daughter of the blessed Kanva — the ascetic, the steadfast, the knower of dharma, the illustrious one."

1.65.16 Duṣyanta said: "The blessed one is of supreme greatness, a practitioner of ūrdhvaretas, worshipped by the world — for even dharma might deviate from its course, but one of sharpened vow does not deviate."

1.65.17 "How have you, O fair-complexioned one, come to be his daughter? I have a great doubt in this matter; please resolve it for me here."

1.65.18 Śakuntalā said: "How this account came to me, and how it came to pass in former times — hear it truly, O king, how I am the daughter of the sage."

1.65.19 "A certain seer came here and prompted the account of my birth; the blessed one related it to him — hear it as it is, O lord of the earth."

1.65.20 "In former times, so it is said, Viśvāmitra was performing great austerities, and greatly afflicted Śakra, the lord of the hosts of gods."

1.65.21 "Fearing that this one, whose power blazed with asceticism, might dislodge him from his position, Purandara said this to Menakā:"

1.65.22 "'O Menakā, you excel among the apsarases in divine qualities — do me a benefit, O auspicious one; hear what I shall tell you.'"

1.65.23 "'That Viśvāmitra, radiant as the sun, of great austerity, performing terrible penance — he makes my mind tremble.'"

1.65.24 "'O slender-waisted Menakā, this Viśvāmitra is your task — he of sharpened soul, most difficult to assail, engaged in fierce austerity.'"

1.65.25 "'So that he may not dislodge me from my position, go to him and entice him — create an obstacle to his austerity; do this best favor for me.'"

1.65.26 "'With beauty, youth, sweetness, gestures, smiles and speech — captivate him, O shapely one, and turn him away from his austerities.'"

1.65.27 Menakā said: "That blessed one is always of great splendor, great in austerity, and wrathful — for even the blessed lord himself knows this about him."

1.65.28 "You yourself tremble before his splendor, his austerity, and his wrath — that great-souled one — then how could I not tremble?"

1.65.29 "He who deprived the greatly blessed Vasiṣṭha of his beloved sons, and who, though born a kshatriya, became a brahmin by force of will —"

1.65.30 "— who, for purposes of purification, created a mighty river with many waters, which people know in the world as the most sacred Kauśikī —"

1.65.31 "— where, in a time of difficulty long ago, the righteous royal sage Mataṅga, gone to the condition of a hunter, supported this great-souled one's wife —"

1.65.32 "— where, in a time of famine in the past, the sage returned to his hermitage and the lord then gave the name 'Para' to the river —"

1.65.33 "— where he himself, with joyful mind, performed the sacrifice for Mataṅga, and out of fear of whom, O lord of heroes, you went to drink soma —"

1.65.34 "— who, in anger, created new lunar asterisms with richness of stars, surpassing the existing stellar lineages, the constellations beginning with Śravaṇa —"

1.65.35 "These are the deeds of him before whom I greatly tremble — command me, O lord, so that when angered he does not burn me."

1.65.36 "He could burn the worlds with his splendor, shake the earth with his foot, compress mighty Meru, and quickly set it spinning."

1.65.37 "How could a young woman like me touch one such as he — endowed with austerity, blazing like fire, his senses fully mastered?"

1.65.38 "He whose face is the sacrificial fire, who blazes, whose eyes are the sun and moon and whose tongue is time itself, O best of gods — how could one like me touch him?"

1.65.39 "Yama and Soma and the great seers, the Sādhyas, the Viśvadevas, and all the Vālakhilyas — even these tremble before his power; why then should one like me not tremble?"

1.65.40 "Being thus commanded by you, O king of gods, how could I not go near the seer? But think of protection for me, O lord of the gods, so that I may act protected for your sake."

1.65.41 "Let the wind strip away my garment there while I am at play, O god; and let Manmatha be my helper there in that task, by your divine grace."

1.65.42 "And let a sweet-scented wind blow from the forest at that time, as I tempt the sage." Having said 'so be it' and having arranged all this, she then went to the hermitage of Kauśika.

1.66.1 Śakuntalā said: "Thus addressed by her, Śakra instructed the wind of eternal passage, and Menakā then departed at the appointed time along with the wind."

1.66.2 "Then that shapely, timid Menakā saw Viśvāmitra performing austerities in the hermitage, his sins burnt away by asceticism."

1.66.3 "Having saluted him, she then played before the sage, and the wind carried away her garment, white as the moon."

1.66.4 "She, the fair-complexioned one, rushed swiftly to the ground to grab that garment, seemingly smiling with shyness at the wind."

1.66.5 "That best of sages then saw Menakā, flustered, clutching her garment, her age and beauty beyond description, her form revealed."

1.66.6 "Seeing the excellence of her beauty, that bull among brahmin seers then formed the intent to be with her, falling under the sway of desire."

1.66.7 "He invited her, and she, the blameless one, was willing; those two spent a very long time in the forest, delighting together according to their desire as though it were but a single day."

1.66.8 "That sage fathered Śakuntalā upon Menakā on the lovely slopes of the Himālayas, near the river Mālinī."

1.66.9 "Having delivered the child and abandoned the newborn along the Mālinī, Menakā, her task accomplished, then quickly went to Śakra's assembly."

1.66.10 "Seeing that newborn lying in the desolate forest teeming with lions and tigers, birds surrounded it on all sides."

1.66.11 "The flesh-eating, meat-craving predators of the forest did not harm this child — the birds guarded her there, that daughter of Menakā."

1.66.12 "I went there to touch the sacred waters, and I saw her lying in the desolate wilderness, surrounded by birds; I then brought her and appointed her as my daughter."

1.66.13 "He who made the body, he who gave life, and he whose food one eats — these three in turn are called fathers in the settled teaching of dharma."

1.66.14 "And because she was protected by birds in the desolate forest, I gave her the name 'Śakuntalā' then and there."

1.66.15 "Thus know her as my daughter, O gentle one — Śakuntalā — and the blameless Śakuntalā considers me her father."

1.66.16 "This he related when questioned by the great seer regarding my birth — thus know me as Kanva's daughter, O lord of men."

1.66.17 "Not knowing my true father, I consider Kanva my father — thus have I told you, O king, the account as I heard it occurred."

1.67.1 Duṣyanta said: "It is entirely clear that you are a princess, O auspicious one, speaking as you do — be my wife, O shapely one; tell me, what shall I do for you?"

1.67.2 "Gold garlands, garments, earrings, ornaments, beautiful shining cloth from many towns, splendid jewels and gems —"

1.67.3 "— all this I shall bring you today, and golden ornaments and animal skins; let the entire kingdom be yours today — be my wife, O lovely one."

1.67.4 "Come to me, O timid one, O beautiful one, through the Gandharva form of marriage — for among marriages, the Gandharva is said to be the best, O you with thighs like plantain stems."

1.67.5 Śakuntalā said: "My father has gone from this hermitage to gather fruits, O king — wait a moment; he will give me to you."

1.67.6 Duṣyanta said: "I desire you, O shapely one, O blameless one who inclines toward me; know that I am here for your sake — my mind has gone to you."

1.67.7 "The self alone is one's own kinsman, the self alone is one's own path, the self alone is one's own refuge — you should give yourself in accordance with dharma."

1.67.8 "Eight forms of marriage in total are remembered as sanctioned by dharma: Brahmā, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya, and also Asura —"

1.67.9 "— Gandharva, Rākṣasa, and Paiśāca as the eighth. Manu Svāyaṃbhuva proclaimed the dharmic rules for these in proper order."

1.67.10 "Know that the first four are commended for a brahmin; know that for a kshatriya six in order are righteous, O blameless one."

1.67.11 "The Rākṣasa form is also said to be valid for kings; the Asura is remembered for Vaiśyas and Śūdras. Of the five, three are righteous; two are remembered as unrighteous here."

1.67.12 "The Paiśāca and the Asura should never be performed under any circumstance; by this rule one should act — this is remembered as the path of dharma."

1.67.13 "The Gandharva and Rākṣasa forms are both righteous for a kshatriya — have no fear of them; whether separately or combined, they may be performed — there is no doubt in this."

1.67.14 "You who are desirous and I who am desirous — O fair-complexioned one, you deserve to become my wife through the Gandharva form of marriage."

1.67.15 Śakuntalā said: "If this is indeed the path of dharma, and if I am indeed master of my own giving — then hear my condition, O best of the Pauravas, O lord."

1.67.16 "Promise me truly what I shall tell you in private: the son who is born of me shall be your heir after you."

1.67.17 "He shall be crown prince, O great king — tell me this truthfully; if it be so, O Duṣyanta, let there be union between you and me."

1.67.18 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "'So be it,' the king replied to her without hesitation, 'and I shall also bring you to my own city, O bright-smiling one — as you deserve, O shapely one; I tell you this truly.'"

1.67.19 "Having said this, that royal sage took the hand of that blameless-gaited one according to the rite, and dwelt together with her."

1.67.20 "Having reassured her, he departed and said again and again: 'I shall send the four-division army for your sake; with it I shall bring you to my own home, O bright-smiling one.'"

1.67.21 "Having thus promised her, O Janamejaya, that king, lord of the earth, departed, pondering in his mind as he went toward Kaśyapa."

1.67.22 "'What will the blessed one endowed with austerity do upon hearing of this?' — thinking thus, he entered his own city."

1.67.23 "After some time had passed, Kanva too returned to the hermitage; but Śakuntalā, out of shame, did not go to meet her father."

1.67.24 "Then Kanva, of divine knowledge and great austerity, perceived the situation; the blessed one, pleased, spoke having seen all with his divine eye."

1.67.25 "'What you have done today, disregarding me, uniting with a man of royal lineage — that union is not a violation of dharma.'"

1.67.26 "'For the Gandharva form of marriage is called the best for a kshatriya — performed in private, without mantras, between two who desire each other.'"

1.67.27 "'Duṣyanta, the best of men, is righteous-souled and great-souled — you have gone to that highest of men as husband with devotion, O Śakuntalā.'"

1.67.28 "'A great-souled and mighty son shall be born to you in the world — one who shall enjoy this entire earth bounded by the ocean.'"

1.67.29 "'And the wheel of that great-souled universal emperor shall roll forward unchecked, ever victorious.'"

1.67.30 "Then she washed his feet, and having set down the load and placed the fruits nearby, she spoke to the rested sage."

1.67.31 "'The one I have chosen as my husband is that Duṣyanta, the best of men — please bestow your grace upon him together with his ministers.'"

1.67.32 Kanva said: "I am indeed already pleased with him for your sake, O fair-complexioned one; receive from me the boon you desire on his account."

1.67.33 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "Then Śakuntalā, desiring the welfare of Duṣyanta, chose righteous conduct and steadiness in the kingdom for the Pauravas."

1.68.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "After Duṣyanta had made his promise and departed, Śakuntalā, she of beautiful thighs, gave birth to a son of immeasurable might."

1.68.2 When three full years had passed, O Janamejaya, she bore Duḥṣanta's son, blazing with the splendour of a bright flame, endowed with beauty, noble bearing, and every virtue.

1.68.3 Kaṇva, foremost among the doers of righteous deeds, then caused the birth-rites and the other purificatory sacraments to be performed for that growing and wise child.

1.68.4 With white, peak-like teeth, the frame of a lion, the mark of the wheel on his palm, majestic in bearing, with a great head and immense strength, a boy godlike in radiance — he swiftly grew up there.

1.68.5 Even as a boy of only six, around the precinct of Kaṇva's hermitage, he would seize tigers, lions, boars, elephants, and buffaloes —

1.68.6 — binding them to trees on every side of the hermitage; the powerful boy would mount them, subdue them, and run about at play.

1.68.7 Then the inhabitants of Kaṇva's hermitage gave him his name: 'Let this boy be Sarvadamana — Tamer of All — for he tames everything.'

1.68.8 So the prince came to bear the name Sarvadamana, endowed with heroic prowess, brilliant energy, and might.

1.68.9 The sage, seeing the prince and his superhuman deeds, declared, 'The time has come for his installation as crown prince,' and so he told Śakuntalā.

1.68.10 Recognising that strength, Kaṇva addressed his disciples: 'Lead this Śakuntalā today, without delay, together with her son, from this hermitage to her husband — she who is honoured by every auspicious mark.'

1.68.11 For a woman's long sojourn among her kinsmen is not fitting; it destroys reputation, conduct, and righteousness. Therefore take her without further delay.

1.68.12 Saying 'So be it,' all of them, those of immeasurable energy, set out placing Śakuntalā together with her son at their head, bound for Hāstinapura.

1.68.13 Taking with her that lotus-eyed son, radiant as a child of the gods, the fair-complexioned Śakuntalā came forth from the forest that Duḥṣanta had known.

1.68.14 Having approached the king and been duly recognised, she was ushered into his presence together with that son of hers who shone with the lustre of the young sun.

1.68.15 Having paid him reverence according to due form, Śakuntalā spoke to him: 'O king, let this son whom you fathered be consecrated as crown prince.'

1.68.16 For this son, O king, was begotten by you upon me, and he is equal to the gods. Act towards him according to the compact you made, O best of men.

1.68.17 Recall, O greatly fortunate one, that compact which was earlier made by you at our meeting in the precinct of Kaṇva's hermitage.

1.68.18 Having heard that speech of hers, the king — though he remembered — declared, 'I do not remember. Whose woman are you, O wicked ascetic?'

1.68.19 'I recall no connection with you in respect of righteousness, pleasure, or worldly gain. Go, or stay, as you please — do whatever you wish.'

1.68.20 Thus addressed, that fair-hipped, proud-spirited woman stood as though shamed, almost insensible with grief, motionless as a post.

1.68.21 Her eyes red with fury and indignation, her lips quivering, she looked askance at the king as though burning him with her sideward glances.

1.68.22 Concealing her outward expression, stirred by wrath, she restrained at that moment the ascetic energy she had gathered through her austerities.

1.68.23 Having reflected for a moment, filled with grief and anger, and gazing steadily at her husband, she spoke these words in fury.

1.68.24 'Though you know, O great king, why do you speak thus — "I do not know" — as indifferently as some common, ordinary man?'

1.68.25 'Your own heart knows the truth and the untruth here; O auspicious one — you yourself are the witness. Do not demean yourself.'

1.68.26 'One who, being otherwise, passes himself off as otherwise — what sin has not been committed by that self-thief, that robber of his own soul?'

1.68.27 'You think yourself alone — you do not know the ancient sage dwelling in the heart, who is the knower of every sinful deed; yet it is before him that you commit this wrong.'

1.68.28 'He who has done evil thinks "no one knows me," yet the gods know him, and so does the inner Person who dwells within him.'

1.68.29 'The sun and the moon, wind and fire, sky, earth, water, the heart, Yama, day and night, and both twilights — and Dharma — all know a man's conduct.'

1.68.30 'Yama Vaivasvata exacts the penalty for the evil deeds of that man with whose conduct the witness of deeds, the knower of the field, dwelling in the heart, is displeased.'

1.68.31 'But of that wicked-souled man with whom this inner witness is not pleased, Yama exacts retribution for his evil deeds.'

1.68.32 'One who demeans himself and behaves contrary to his own nature — the gods do not bestow their grace upon him for whom even his own self is no authority.'

1.68.33 'Do not scorn me thus, thinking "she came of her own accord" — I, your faithful wife, I who deserve to be honoured, I who have come before you myself — you do not honour me.'

1.68.34 'Why do you look upon me like a common man in this assembly? I am not saying this in private — do you not hear me?'

1.68.35 'If you will not heed my plea, O Duḥṣanta, then this very day your head shall split into a hundred pieces.'

1.68.36 'Because a husband enters his wife and is born again from her, the ancient sages know the wifeness of a wife as jāyā — she from whom he is born anew.'

1.68.37 'The offspring that is born to a man comes from him — it delivers his lineage of deceased fathers and grandfathers who have gone before.'

1.68.38 'Because a son delivers his father from the hell called Put, the Self-existent One himself has called him putra — the deliverer.'

1.68.39 'She is a true wife who is capable in the home; she is a true wife who bears children; she is a true wife whose life is her husband; she is a true wife who is devoted to her husband.'

1.68.40 'A wife is half of a man; a wife is his best companion; a wife is the root of the three aims of life; a wife is the friend of him who is to die.'

1.68.41 'Those who have wives can perform rites; together with their wives they are true householders; those who have wives rejoice; those who have wives are endowed with prosperity.'

1.68.42 'In solitary moments wives become sweet-spoken companions; in the duties of righteousness they become fathers; to one in distress they become mothers.'

1.68.43 'Even in the wilderness a wife is the resting-place for the wayfaring man. He who has a wife is trustworthy; therefore a wife is the highest refuge.'

1.68.44 'Even the departed spirit wandering alone through difficult passages — a faithful wife ever follows her husband.'

1.68.45 'A wife who dies first waits for her husband after death; or if her husband dies first, the virtuous wife follows him afterwards.'

1.68.46 'For this reason, O king, the taking of a wife's hand in marriage is prescribed — for what a husband obtains in his wife belongs to him both in this world and in the next.'

1.68.47 'The wise declare that a son is the self begotten by the self; therefore a man should regard his wife as the mother of his son, as he would regard his own mother.'

1.68.48 'A father, beholding the son born of his wife — like seeing his own face in a mirror — is gladdened, as if the meritorious man had attained heaven.'

1.68.49 'Men afflicted by the burnings of mental grief and by diseases find delight in their wives, as those tormented by the heat find relief in water.'

1.68.50 'Even in great anger a wise man should not speak harshly to women, seeing that pleasure, affection, and righteousness are all dependent upon them.'

1.68.51 'Women are the sacred, eternal field of one's own birth — what power would even the sages have to create offspring without a woman?'

1.68.52 'When a son, who has been running about covered in the dust of the earth, runs up and embraces his father's limbs — what greater joy can there be than that?'

1.68.53 'Why then do you disdain this very son who has come to you of himself, who longs for you, and who looks at you with expectant eyes?'

1.68.54 'Even ants carry their own eggs and do not break them — how then, knowing righteousness as you do, could you not support your own son?'

1.68.55 'The touch of garments, of women, or of water is not as pleasurable as the touch of a small child being embraced — the touch of one's own son.'

1.68.56 'A brahmin is the foremost among two-footed beings; the cow is the greatest among four-footed beings; a teacher is the best among elders; a son is the most excellent of all things that can be touched.'

1.68.57 'Let this comely son embrace you and touch you — there is no more pleasurable touch in the world than the touch of a son.'

1.68.58 'Three full years after I gave birth, O subduer of foes, O lord of kings — I bring you this prince who will put an end to your sorrows.'

1.68.59 'O Paurava, a voice from the sky once addressed me at his birth, saying he shall be the performer of a hundred horse-sacrifices.'

1.68.60 'Do not men, even when travelling to another village, having first inhaled the fragrance of their sons' heads and marked them with a name-sign out of affection, bid them farewell with blessings?'

1.68.61 'The twice-born recite this Vedic declaration at the birth-rite of sons — you too know it likewise:'

1.68.62 '"You are born from limb after limb, you spring forth from the heart; you are the self who bears the name of son — so live a hundred autumns."'

1.68.63 'My sustenance and my undying lineage depend upon you — therefore, live happily a hundred autumns, my dear child.'

1.68.64 'This second man born from a man — born from your limbs — behold your own self as if reflected in a spotless pool, O king; behold my son.'

1.68.65 'Just as the Āhavanīya fire is kindled from the Gārhapatya, so has this son been born from you — you being one, you are made twofold.'

1.68.66 'For it was you, pursuing game, drawn away by a deer, who found me, a maiden, in my father's hermitage while ranging in the hunt, O king.'

1.68.67 'Urvaśī, Pūrvacitti, Sahajanyā, Menakā, Viśvācī, and Ghṛtācī — these six are the foremost of the Apsarases.'

1.68.68 'Among them, Menakā by name, the foremost Apsaras sprung from Brahmā's creative power, descending from heaven to earth, bore me by Viśvāmitra.'

1.68.69 'That Apsaras Menakā gave birth to me on the slopes of the Himālaya, and having abandoned me there she departed — like a wicked woman casting aside another's child.'

1.68.70 'What inauspicious deed did I commit in a former birth, that I was abandoned by my kin in childhood and now again by you?'

1.68.71 'Abandoned by you I shall willingly go back to the hermitage — but you should not abandon this child, your own son born of yourself.'

1.68.72 Duḥṣanta spoke: 'I do not acknowledge a son born of you, O Śakuntalā. Women are untruthful in their speech — who would trust your words?'

1.68.73 'Your mother Menakā is a merciless harlot — she who cast you away on the slopes of the Himālaya like a discarded garland.'

1.68.74 'And that merciless father of yours, Viśvāmitra — born of kṣatriya stock, greedy for brahminhood, entirely given over to lust.'

1.68.75 'Menakā is the best of Apsarases and your father is a great sage — the offspring of those two — yet why do you present yourself like a wanton woman?'

1.68.76 'Are you not ashamed to speak these unbelievable words, especially in my presence? Go away, O wicked ascetic woman.'

1.68.77 'Where stands the great sage, ever terrible, and where the Apsaras Menakā — and where do you stand, so pitiable, wearing the mere garb of an ascetic woman?'

1.68.78 'And this son of yours is huge, and even as a child immensely strong — how has he grown up in such a short time, like the trunk of a śāla tree?'

1.68.79 'Your origin is very low — you appear to me a wanton woman; for you were born of Menakā by random desire and lust.'

1.68.80 'All that you say, O ascetic woman, is unknown to me. I do not recognise you. Go wherever you please.'

1.69.1 Śakuntalā spoke: 'O king, you see the faults of others though they be but the size of a mustard seed, yet even when you behold your own faults, though they be the size of a bilva fruit, you do not see them.'

1.69.2 Menakā stands high among the thirty gods, and the thirty gods revere Menakā; my birth excels yours, Duḥṣanta, measured from your birth.

1.69.3 You roam upon the earth, O king, while I move through the sky — see the distance between us as that between Mount Meru and a mustard seed.

1.69.4 I visit the palaces of Mahendra, Kubera, Yama, and Varuṇa — behold my power, O king.

1.69.5 What I am about to tell you, O sinless one, is a true saying — I speak it as an illustration, not out of hatred; having heard it, you should bear with it patiently.

1.69.6 As long as an ugly man does not see his own face in a mirror, he considers himself more handsome than others.

1.69.7 But when he looks into the mirror and sees his distorted face, he then knows himself truly — not the other person.

1.69.8 One who is supremely gifted in beauty does not belittle anything; but one who talks excessively with harsh words becomes a nuisance in this world.

1.69.9 A fool, hearing both good and bad words spoken by people, picks up only the bad words — like a pig that picks up filth.

1.69.10 But a wise man, hearing both good and bad words spoken by people, takes only the virtuous word — like a swan that separates milk from water.

1.69.11 Just as a good person feels anguish when he speaks ill of others, in the same way a wicked person feels delight when he slanders others.

1.69.12 Just as the righteous attain peace by respectfully saluting elders, so a fool attains a perverse contentment by reviling good people.

1.69.13 Fools who see no fault in themselves live happily while perceiving faults in others; wherever the virtuous are to be reproached by others, they call those others just such people.

1.69.14 There is nothing more laughable in this world than when a wicked man himself calls a virtuous man wicked.

1.69.15 From a man fallen from truth and righteousness, enraged, like a venomous serpent, even a non-believer shrinks away — how much more so a believer.

1.69.16 Whoever, having himself fathered a son in his own likeness, then disrespects him — the gods destroy his prosperity and he does not enjoy the higher worlds.

1.69.17 The forefathers declared a son to be the highest support of family and lineage, the foremost of all sacred duties — therefore one should never abandon a son.

1.69.18 Manu declared five kinds of sons: those born of one's own wife, those received as gifts, those purchased, those raised, those begotten on other women, and those adopted.

1.69.19 Sons bring righteousness and glory to men, they increase the joy of the heart, and — born as rafts of dharma — they rescue their fathers from hell.

1.69.20 Therefore you, O tiger among kings, lord of the earth, lion among rulers, should not abandon your son; protecting yourself, truth, and righteousness, you should not carry deceit in this world.

1.69.21 A reservoir is better than a hundred wells; a sacrifice is better than a hundred reservoirs; a son is better than a hundred sacrifices; truth is better than a hundred sons.

1.69.22 If a thousand horse-sacrifices and truth are placed in a balance, truth alone surpasses a thousand horse-sacrifices.

1.69.23 Mastering all the Vedas and bathing in all the sacred fords — whether these equal speaking truth, O king, or do not equal it, truth is supreme.

1.69.24 There is no dharma higher than truth; there is nothing higher than truth; there is indeed nothing more terrible in this world than falsehood.

1.69.25 O king, truth is the supreme Brahman; truth is the highest covenant — do not abandon the covenant, O king; let truth be your companion.

1.69.26 If you are inclined to falsehood and do not believe in truth yourself, then I am leaving — there is no fellowship with one such as you.

1.69.27 Even without you, Duḥṣanta, my son will protect this four-bounded earth adorned with the king of mountains.

1.69.28 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken these words, Śakuntalā departed. Then, while Duḥṣanta was surrounded by officiating priests, the chief priest, teachers, and ministers, a disembodied voice spoke to him from the sky.

1.69.29 The mother is only the bellows; the son belongs to the father from whom he is born. Maintain your son, Duḥṣanta; do not disrespect Śakuntalā.

1.69.30 The son of the seed-giver raises him from Yama's realm, O lord of men; and you are indeed the sustainer of this womb — Śakuntalā speaks the truth.

1.69.31 The wife bears a son — the self divided into two parts. Therefore, O king Duḥṣanta, maintain your son, the son of Śakuntalā.

1.69.32 This is disgrace — who would abandon a living son while himself alive? Maintain the great-souled Śākuntalā, your son Dauḥṣanti, O Paurava.

1.69.33 Because he is to be maintained by you, and also by our command, therefore let this son of yours be named Bharata — 'he who is to be maintained.'

1.69.34 Hearing the declaration of the heavenly beings, the Paurava king rejoiced and said this to the chief priest and ministers.

1.69.35 May you all hear the words of this divine messenger — I too recognize him myself as my own son in exactly this way.

1.69.36 If I had accepted him on her word alone, people would have had doubts, and in that way he would not have been certified as pure.

1.69.37 Having thus vindicated him through the divine messenger, O Bhārata, the king, filled with joy and delight, accepted his son.

1.69.38 He smelled the child's head and embraced him with affection; honored by brahmins and praised by bards, the king experienced the supreme joy born of a son's touch.

1.69.39 The king, who knew dharma, honored that wife according to righteousness, and then the king spoke these conciliatory words to her.

1.69.40 This union with you was made in secret, away from the world's gaze; therefore, O goddess, I deliberated thus in order to establish your purity.

1.69.41 The world might think, on account of you being a woman, that your union with me was improper, and so I accepted this son into the kingdom only after deliberation.

1.69.42 And what unpleasant words you, though beloved and devoted to me, spoke to me in great anger — all of that I forgive you, O large-eyed auspicious one.

1.69.43 Having spoken thus to her, the royal sage Duḥṣanta honored his beloved queen with garments and food and drink, O Bhārata.

1.69.44 Then King Duḥṣanta named his son born of Śakuntalā 'Bharata' and consecrated him as the crown prince.

1.69.45 The great-souled Bharata's glorious wheel of conquest began to roll — radiant, divine, unconquered, filling the worlds with its resounding might.

1.69.46 He conquered the rulers of the earth and made them submissive; he walked the path of the virtuous and attained unsurpassed glory.

1.69.47 That king became a sovereign emperor of the whole earth, blazing with majesty; he performed many sacrifices just as Śakra, the lord of the Maruts, does.

1.69.48 Kaṇva caused him to perform a great horse-sacrifice with lavish fees, like Dakṣa; the illustrious one obtained the horse-sacrifice called Govitata, in which Bharata gave Kaṇva a thousand padmas of gold.

1.69.49 From Bharata came the glory of the Bhāratas, by which this family is called Bhārata; both earlier and later descendants became renowned as Bhāratas.

1.69.50 In the lineage of Bharata there were many foremost kings, equal to the gods in power, equal to Brahman in splendor.

1.69.51 Their names are beyond count in every respect, O Bhārata; of those most fortunate ones, equal to gods, devoted to truth and uprightness, I shall recite them to you in order of their eminence.

1.70.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: In the lineage of Dakṣa the Progenitor, Manu Vaivasvata, Bharata, Kuru, Pūru, and Ajamīḍha —

1.70.2 — this lineage of the Yādavas and that of the Pauravas in full, and likewise of the Bhāratas — holy, conferring welfare, meritorious, glory-giving, life-prolonging — I shall recite to you, O sinless one.

1.70.3 All blazing with splendor equal to great sages, the ten sons of Pracetas are remembered as the primeval beings — those mighty ones who were burnt by the fire born of clouds.

1.70.4 From those ten was born Dakṣa, son of Pracetas; from Dakṣa, O tiger among men, these creatures came into being — he is indeed the grandfather of all the worlds.

1.70.5 Dakṣa, the sage son of Pracetas, uniting with Vīriṇī, fathered a thousand sons equal to himself, firm in their vows.

1.70.6 Nārada taught Dakṣa's thousand gathered sons the supreme knowledge of liberation, the unsurpassed wisdom of Sāṃkhya.

1.70.7 Then Dakṣa the Progenitor, wishing to multiply creation, appointed fifty daughters as his putrikās (daughters treated as sons), O Janamejaya.

1.70.8 He gave ten to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa, twenty-seven suited to the passage of time to Indu (the Moon).

1.70.9 Of the thirteen wives, the most excellent Dākṣāyaṇī — Kaśyapa, son of Marīci, begat upon her the Ādityas, endowed with might: Indra and the others, and also Vivasvat.

1.70.10 From Vivasvat was born the mighty Yama Vaivasvata; and from Yama too, O king, a son was born — Mārtāṇḍa.

1.70.11 From Mārtāṇḍa was born the wise and powerful Manu; from Manu this lineage of human beings became celebrated; from Manu were born the Mānavas — brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and the rest.

1.70.12 There, O king, brahminhood was united with the warrior order; those Mānavas who were brāhmaṇas studied the Veda together with its ancillary texts.

1.70.13 Vena, Dhṛṣṇu, Nariṣyanta, Nābhāga, Ikṣvāku, Karūṣa, Śaryāti, and also Ilā as the eighth —

1.70.14 — Pṛṣadhra as the ninth, devoted to the warrior's dharma, and Nābhāgāriṣṭa as the tenth — these are called Manu's mighty sons.

1.70.15 Fifty more sons of Manu were likewise born on earth; all of them perished through mutual strife — so we have heard.

1.70.16 The learned Purūravas was then born from Ilā — she was both his mother and his father, so we have heard.

1.70.17 The greatly glorious Purūravas, though human, consumed thirteen islands of the ocean, surrounded by non-human beings.

1.70.18 Purūravas, maddened by his own power, entered into conflict with brāhmaṇas and seized their jewels even as they cried out in protest.

1.70.19 Sanatkumāra, O king, came from the world of Brahman and then counseled him; but he did not accept that counsel.

1.70.20 Then that lord of men, overcome by greed, drunk on power, having lost all sense, was immediately cursed by the enraged great sages and perished.

1.70.21 For he, the sovereign, dwelling in the world of Gandharvas and accompanied by Urvaśī, properly brought the three fires appointed for the rite.

1.70.22 Six sons were born from Urvaśī: the wise Āyus, Amāvasu, Dṛḍhāyu, Vanāyu, Śrutāyu — sons of Urvaśī.

1.70.23 Nahuṣa, Vṛddhaśarman, Raji, Rambha, and Anenas — born of Svarbhānavī — these are declared to be the sons of Āyu.

1.70.24 Nahuṣa, son of Āyu, wise and true in valor, ruled a very great kingdom as lord of the earth by the law of righteousness.

1.70.25 Nahuṣa protected the ancestors, gods, sages, brāhmaṇas, Gandharvas, serpents, Rākṣasas, the priestly order, the warrior order, and the merchant class.

1.70.26 Having slain hordes of robbers, the mighty Nahuṣa made sages pay tribute and yoked them to carry him on their backs like beasts of burden.

1.70.27 He caused himself to hold the position of Indra, having overpowered the dwellers of heaven by his radiance, austerity, valor, and might.

1.70.28 Nahuṣa fathered six sons on his beloved wife: Yati, Yayāti, Saṃyāti, Āyāti, the fifth Uddhava, and a sixth.

1.70.29 Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa, became emperor, true in his valor; he ruled the earth and performed various sacrifices.

1.70.30 Honoring the ancestors with supreme power and ever reverently worshiping the gods, the unconquered Yayāti bestowed his grace upon all creatures.

1.70.31 His sons, mighty archers endowed with every virtue, O great king, were born of Devayānī and also of Śarmiṣṭhā.

1.70.32 Yadu and Turvasu were born of Devayānī; and Druhyu, Anu, and Pūru were born of Śarmiṣṭhā.

1.70.33 He, the son of Nahuṣa, ruled his people righteously through endless years, O king, while enduring a terrible old age that was destroying his beauty.

1.70.34 Overwhelmed by old age, that king addressed his sons — Yadu, Pūru, Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu — O Bhārata.

1.70.35 "I wish to roam in the pleasures of youth and to sport with young women as a young man — help me in this, my sons."

1.70.36 Then the elder son born of Devayānī, Yadu, said to him: "What is it that you need from us, and what use is our youth to you?"

1.70.37 Yayāti said to him: "Take my old age upon yourself; with your youth let me pursue the objects of pleasure."

1.70.38 "Through the curse of the sage Uśanas while I was performing long sacrificial sessions, I have been deprived of the fulfillment of desire, and I grieve because of it, my sons."

1.70.39 "Let one of you rule the kingdom with my body, while I, young in a fresh body, attain all pleasures."

1.70.40 But Yadu and the others did not accept his old age. Then the youngest, Pūru, of true valor, spoke to him.

1.70.41 "O king, roam in the realm of youth with a new body; I, having taken on old age, will remain in the kingdom by your command."

1.70.42 Thus addressed, that royal sage, by the power of his ascetic vigor, transferred the old age then to his great-souled son.

1.70.43 Taking on the youth of the son of Pūru, the king entered into his prime; and bearing the age of Yayāti, Pūru governed the kingdom.

1.70.44 Then, at the end of a thousand years, the unconquered Yayāti, still unsatiated in his desires, spoke to his son Pūru.

1.70.45 "Through you I have obtained my inheritance; you are the son who carries on my lineage. The line of Pūru — by this name shall your fame go forth in the world."

1.70.46 Then that tiger among kings, having anointed Pūru to the kingdom, passed away to the law of time after a great span of years.

1.71.1 Janamejaya said: "Yayāti, our ancestor, who was the tenth from the Lord of Creatures — how did he obtain the daughter of Śukra, she who is supremely difficult to win?"

1.71.2 "I wish to hear this in detail, O best of twice-born men; and in due order tell me separately of those who carried on the line of Pūru."

1.71.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "Yayāti was a royal sage with the splendor equal to the king of gods. Both Śukra and Vṛṣaparvā chose him in affection in those ancient times."

1.71.4 "That I shall fully narrate to you as you ask, O Janamejaya — the union of Devayānī and of Yayāti, the son of Nahuṣa."

1.71.5 A conflict for supremacy arose between the gods and the demons, throughout the three worlds with all their moving and unmoving beings.

1.71.6 Desiring victory, the gods chose the sage Āṅgirasa as their chaplain and sacrificial priest; the others chose Uśanas Kāvya. Those two brahmins were always in fierce rivalry with each other.

1.71.7 There, whichever demons were slain by the gods in battle, Kāvya revived them again by resort to the power of his knowledge; and rising again, they fought the gods once more.

1.71.8 But those gods whom the demons slew in the thick of battle, Bṛhaspati of great intellect could not revive.

1.71.9 For he did not know that knowledge — the life-restoring science — which the mighty Kāvya knew; and so the gods fell into the deepest despair.

1.71.10 Then the gods, anxious with fear of Uśanas Kāvya, approached Kaca, the eldest son of Bṛhaspati, and spoke to him.

1.71.11 "Favor those who favor you; render us the highest help. That knowledge which resides in the brahmin Śukra of boundless splendor — quickly bring it forth, and you shall share in our portion."

1.71.12 "That twice-born one can be found near Vṛṣaparvā; there he protects the demons and does not protect non-demons."

1.71.13 "You, in the freshness of your youth, are capable of pleasing that sage, and also Devayānī, the beloved daughter of that great soul."

1.71.14 "No one else exists who is capable of winning his favor — not through good conduct, courtesy, sweetness, right behavior, and self-restraint as you are. When Devayānī is pleased, you will surely obtain that knowledge."

1.71.15 Saying "So be it," Kaca, the son of Bṛhaspati, then set out — duly honored by the gods — toward the dwelling of Vṛṣaparvā.

1.71.16 Going swiftly, O king, sent forth by the gods, Kaca arrived at the city of the lord of demons, saw Śukra, and spoke these words.

1.71.17 "Let your honor accept me as a pupil — the grandson of the sage Āṅgiras, the direct son of Bṛhaspati, known by the name Kaca."

1.71.18 "I shall practice the highest celibate studentship under you, the supreme teacher; grant me your approval, O brahmin, for a thousand years."

1.71.19 Śukra said: "Kaca, be most welcome; I accept your words. I shall honor you who are worthy of honor, and may Bṛhaspati be honored through you."

1.71.20 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "Kaca, saying 'so be it,' accepted the vow that was prescribed by Śukra Uśanas, the son of the poet, himself."

1.71.21 He accepted the prescribed duration of the vow as directed, attending upon his teacher and Devayānī, O Bhārata.

1.71.22 Ever intent on pleasing her, that young man, at the threshold of youth, delighted Devayānī with singing, dancing, and playing music.

1.71.23 Cultivating the company of Devayānī, the girl who had just come of age, he pleased her with flowers, fruits, and acts of service, O Bhārata.

1.71.24 And Devayānī too, that charming woman, singing along with him, attended upon that brahmin who practiced his vows and observances in private at that time.

1.71.25 Five hundred years passed thus while Kaca pursued his vow; then the demons, becoming aware of him, turned against Kaca.

1.71.26 Finding him alone in the forest tending the cows, in their rage and out of hatred for Bṛhaspati, and to protect the knowledge, they slew him; and having killed him, they ground him to sesame-sized pieces and fed him to wolves.

1.71.27 Then the cows returned to their fold without a cowherd. Seeing those cows come back from the forest without Kaca, Devayānī spoke these words at the right moment, O Bhārata.

1.71.28 "Your fire-sacrifice has not been offered, and the sun has set, my lord; the cows have come back without a cowherd — father, Kaca is nowhere to be seen."

1.71.29 "Clearly Kaca must have been slain or is dead, father; without him I cannot live — I tell you the truth."

1.71.30 Śukra said: "By uttering the word 'come here,' I shall revive the dead."

1.71.31 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "Employing the life-restoring knowledge, he called out to Kaca; summoned, Kaca appeared unharmed by virtue of that knowledge, and when questioned by the brahmin's daughter, he told her: 'I was slain.'"

1.71.32 Again, urged by Devayānī, the brahmin went to the forest at will to gather flowers; and the demons caught sight of him there.

1.71.33 Then the demons slew him a second time, burned him, reduced him to powder, and mixed him into the wine of the brahmin himself.

1.71.34 Again Devayānī spoke words to her father: "Kaca who went to gather flowers and run errands, father, is nowhere to be seen."

1.71.35 Śukra said: "Daughter, Bṛhaspati's son Kaca has gone the way of the dead. Though revived by the knowledge, he is slain again in this way — what can I do?"

1.71.36 "Do not grieve thus, do not weep, Devayānī; one such as you should not mourn a mortal. The gods, the Viśve-devas, and all the world bow before a transformation that has arrived."

1.71.37 Devayānī said: "He whose grandfather is the most venerable Āṅgiras, and whose father too is the ascetic-wealthy Bṛhaspati — how should I not grieve, how should I not weep for the son or even the grandson of such a sage?"

1.71.38 "He was a celibate student, rich in austerity, ever diligent and skilled in his duties. Father, I shall follow the path of Kaca — I will not eat; for dear to me is the handsome Kaca."

1.71.39 Śukra said: "Without doubt the demons hate me — these terrible ones who slay my blameless pupil and wish to make me a non-brahmin; they act toward me as demons have plotted. But there would be an end to this evil here; what person would the guilt of brahmin-slaughter not burn, even Indra himself?"

1.71.40 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "Urged by Devayānī, the great sage Kāvya called out to Bṛhaspati's son Kaca once more, with great intensity."

1.71.41 Summoned by the teacher's knowledge and speaking from fear of his guru, a faint voice arose from within the belly. He said to him: "Tell me, brahmin — by what path have you entered, and how do you remain in my belly?"

1.71.42 Kaca said: "By your grace, memory does not leave me; I remember everything — what happened and how. But it should not be that there is a waste of my austerity; and so I endure this terrible suffering."

1.71.43 "I was given to you in wine by the demons, O Kāvya, after they slew, burned, and ground me to powder. How could the demonic magic ever prevail against the divine magic while you stand firm?"

1.71.44 Śukra said: "What shall I do that is pleasing to you today, my son? Kaca could live only at the cost of my death — for Kaca who is inside me, O Devayānī, could be seen only by splitting my belly."

1.71.45 Devayānī said: "Two griefs, like fire, would burn me: the destruction of Kaca and harm to you. In the destruction of Kaca there is no peace for me; yet if you are harmed I am unable to live."

1.71.46 Śukra said: "You are fully accomplished in form, O son of Bṛhaspati, since the devoted Devayānī cherishes you. Receive this life-restoring knowledge — for if you were not Kaca today, you would be Indra himself in that form."

1.71.47 "No one else living would return again from my belly — except a brahmin alone; therefore receive the knowledge."

1.71.48 "Becoming my son, sustain me who have sustained you; emerging from this body, my son, consider the righteous regard I have for you — and having received the knowledge from your teacher, be endowed with knowledge."

1.71.49 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "Having received the knowledge from his teacher, the handsome brahmin Kaca burst through the belly and came forth on the right side of the brahmin — like the moon on a full-moon night at the close of the bright fortnight."

1.71.50 And seeing that mass of brahmic splendor fallen, Kaca himself raised up the dead man. Having obtained that accomplished knowledge and having paid obeisance, Kaca then addressed him as teacher.

1.71.51 "Those who do not revere the teacher who is worthy of worship — the giver of the highest truth, the treasury of treasuries through four lineages — they go to sinful worlds without foundation."

1.71.52 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "Having brought about deception through the drinking of wine and the destruction of consciousness so terrible, and having seen Kaca who had been swallowed in wine by one who was deluded and who was also so handsome —"

1.71.53 "— the great-souled one rose up in anger; Uśanas Kāvya himself, wishing to do what was good for brahmins and now deeply troubled about wine-drinking, spoke these words:"

1.71.54 "Whatever brahmin henceforth in this world, dull-witted, drinks wine out of delusion — he becomes one fallen from righteousness and also a slayer of brahmins; he shall be censured in this world and in the next."

1.71.55 "And this boundary of brahminical law that I have established throughout all the world — let the virtuous brahmins who hearken to their teachers, and let all the gods and all the worlds, hear it."

1.71.56 Having spoken thus, that great-souled one — the immeasurable treasury of all treasuries of austerity — summoned those demons whose minds were blinded by fate, and spoke these words to them.

1.71.57 "I declare to you — you demons are foolish. Kaca has succeeded and shall remain with me; having obtained the life-restoring knowledge of great import, he is equal in splendor to Brahman and has become Brahman-natured."

1.71.58 Having dwelt near his teacher for a thousand years, Kaca, given leave to depart, desired to go to the abode of the thirty gods.

1.72.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: "But as he, his vow completed and released by the teacher, set out toward the dwelling of the thirty gods, Devayānī said this to him."

1.72.2 "O grandson of the sage Āṅgiras, you shine by your conduct and birth, and also by knowledge, austerity, and self-restraint."

1.72.3 "Just as the sage Āṅgiras is revered and of great renown to my father, so too is Bṛhaspati to me — worthy of reverence and worship above all."

1.72.4 "Knowing this, understand what I say to you, O ascetic-wealthy one — understand how I have conducted myself toward you while you were engaged in your vow and observances."

1.72.5 "You, now returned with your knowledge, should favor me who am devoted to you; take my hand in the proper manner, with sacred mantras duly preceding."

1.72.6 Kaca said: "Just as your venerable father is to be worshipped and revered by me, so too are you, O blameless-limbed one — even more deserving of my veneration."

1.72.7 You are dearer than life itself to the great-souled son of Bhṛgu; O noble one, you are by dharma always to be honoured by me as the daughter of my guru.

1.72.8 Just as Śukra, your father, is always my revered guru, so too are you, O Devayānī; therefore you ought not to speak to me in this way.

1.72.9 Devayānī said: You are indeed the son of a guru's son, but you are not my father's son; therefore you too are honourable and worthy of reverence to me, O best of twice-born.

1.72.10 When you were slain again and again by the asuras, O Kaca, recall for yourself the love I bore you from that time forward.

1.72.11 You know my supreme devotion in friendship and in love; you ought not, O knower of dharma, to abandon me who am devoted to you and guiltless.

1.72.12 Kaca said: You are pressing me into a duty in a matter where I cannot be employed, O you of beautiful vows; be gracious, O fair-browed one — to me you are more revered than even my guru, O auspicious one.

1.72.13 Where you dwelt, O wide-eyed one, O moon-faced one, there too did I dwell, O noble one — in the womb of Kāvya himself, O passionate one.

1.72.14 You are by dharma my sister; do not speak thus, O beautiful-faced one. I have dwelt at ease, O noble one; there is no anger in me.

1.72.15 I take my leave of you and shall go; wish me good fortune on my path. I am to be remembered without violating dharma. Rise ever with diligence and worship my guru.

1.72.16 Devayānī said: If you, having been urged, reject me for the sake of dharma and desire, then, O Kaca, this knowledge of yours shall not reach fulfilment.

1.72.17 Kaca said: I refuse because you are the guru's daughter, not because of any fault; and I have been released by my guru. Curse me thus if you wish.

1.72.18 I speak the ancient law of the seers, O Devayānī; as you have cursed me, I do not deserve this curse — it comes from passion, not from dharma.

1.72.19 Therefore the desire you have shall not be fulfilled thus; no son of a seer shall ever take your hand in marriage.

1.72.20 The knowledge shall not bear fruit for you — what you said of me shall be so likewise; but I shall teach another, and for him the knowledge shall bear fruit.

1.72.21 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus to Devayānī, Kaca, best of twice-born, quickly departed to the abode of the lord of the thirty gods.

1.72.22 Beholding him arrived, the gods with Indra at their head, rejoicing, honoured Bṛhaspati and then spoke these words to Kaca.

1.72.23 The most wonderful deed you have done for our benefit — your glory shall never perish; you shall be a sharer of our offerings.

1.73.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When Kaca had mastered his knowledge and returned, the gods, joyful in appearance, having studied that knowledge from Kaca, became fulfilled in their purpose, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.73.2 All of them assembled together and then spoke to Śatakratu: "Now is the time for your valour; slay your enemies, O Purandara."

1.73.3 Thus addressed by the assembled thirty gods, Maghavan then said "So be it" and set forth; and he saw women in a forest.

1.73.4 Among the maidens who were playing in that forest resembling Caitraratha's garden, he, having become wind, mixed together all their garments.

1.73.5 Then those maidens, rising together from the water, seized those garments in many instances each as they came nearest to hand.

1.73.6 There Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, not knowing, took the mixed-up garment of Devayānī.

1.73.7 Then a quarrel arose between the two of them there, O king of kings, between Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā on account of it.

1.73.8 Devayānī said: Why do you take my garment, having become a pupil of mine, O demoness? It shall not go well with you, being devoid of proper conduct.

1.73.9 Śarmiṣṭhā said: Your father praises and salutes my father again and again, whether seated or reclining, standing humbly and submissively.

1.73.10 You are the daughter of one who begs, praises, and receives; I am the daughter of one who is praised, who gives and does not receive.

1.73.11 Unarmed against one who is armed, empty against one who is full, you stir up trouble, O beggar-girl; you shall find a match to fight you back — I do not count you at all.

1.73.12 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Śarmiṣṭhā threw Devayānī, who had grown haughty and was clinging to her garment, into a well, and then went home to her city.

1.73.13 Thinking "She is dead," Śarmiṣṭhā of wicked resolve departed without looking back toward home, carried away by the force of her anger.

1.73.14 Then Yayāti, the son of Nahuṣa, came to that place, his horses exhausted, his steeds wearied, thirsting, seeking game.

1.73.15 He, the son of Nahuṣa, looking about at that waterless well, saw that maiden there, blazing like a flame of fire.

1.73.16 Having seen her, that best of kings, with most soothing and gracious words of comfort, questioned that maiden of divine complexion.

1.73.17 "Who are you, copper-nailed, dark-complexioned, with well-polished gem-set earrings? You meditate at great length and deeply — why do you sigh so distressed?"

1.73.18 "And how have you fallen into this well overgrown with creepers and grass? Whose daughter are you? Tell me everything, O slender-waisted one."

1.73.19 Devayānī said: I am the daughter of that Śukra who revives with his knowledge the demons slain by the gods; he surely does not know of me now.

1.73.20 This is my right hand, O king, with copper-hued nails on its fingers; take it and lift me up — you are deemed nobly-born in my estimation.

1.73.21 For I know you to be self-restrained, valiant, and illustrious; therefore you ought to raise me who have fallen from this well.

1.73.22 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Recognising her then as a brahmin woman, the son of Nahuṣa took her by the right hand and lifted her up out of that pit.

1.73.23 Having quickly raised her from that well, the lord of men Yayāti took his leave of that fair-hipped one and went to his own city.

1.73.24 Devayānī said: Go quickly, O Ghūrṇikā, and tell my father everything; for I shall not enter the city of Vṛṣaparvan now.

1.73.25 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: She quickly went to the demon mansion, found Kāvya, and spoke these words to him, her mind agitated with alarm.

1.73.26 "I report to you, O greatly wise one, O greatly fortunate one, that Devayānī has been struck down in the forest by Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan."

1.73.27 Having heard that his daughter had been struck down there by Śarmiṣṭhā, Kāvya went forth in haste, grieved, searching for his daughter in the forest.

1.73.28 Seeing his daughter Devayānī there in the forest, Kāvya embraced her with both arms and, sorrowing, spoke these words.

1.73.29 "All beings receive sorrow and happiness through their own faults; I think there must be some misdeed of yours for which this requital has come upon you."

1.73.30 Devayānī said: Whether there be a requital for me or not, hear me attentively — what was said to me by Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan: and truly she said it — 'You are a singer of the demons.'

1.73.31 "Thus does Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, repeatedly speak sharp and harsh words to me, her eyes red with anger."

1.73.32 "You are the daughter of one who praises, who begs and receives; I am the daughter of one who is praised, who gives and does not receive."

1.73.33 "Thus does Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, speak to me again and again, her eyes flushed red with anger, filled with arrogance."

1.73.34 "If I am the daughter of one who praises and receives, then I shall placate Śarmiṣṭhā" — thus was spoken by a companion of mine to me.

1.73.35 Śukra said: You are not the daughter of one who praises, O noble one, nor of one who receives; you, O Devayānī, are the daughter of one who does not praise but is praised.

1.73.36 Vṛṣaparvan himself knows that, as does king Śakra and Nahuṣa's son; my power is the inconceivable, transcendent, lordly Brahman, beyond all duality.

1.74.1 Śukra said: The man who always endures the harsh words of others — know this, O Devayānī: by him all this world is conquered.

1.74.2 He who restrains surging anger like a horse — he is called a charioteer by the good, not he who merely hangs on the reins.

1.74.3 He who repels surging anger with non-anger — know this, O Devayānī: by him all this world is conquered.

1.74.4 He who repels surging anger here with patience, as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin — he is truly called a man.

1.74.5 He who restrains wrath, who endures harsh words, and who, though afflicted, does not afflict in return — he is truly a vessel worthy of prosperity.

1.74.6 One who sacrifices tirelessly every month for a hundred years, and one who is angered at nothing — of these two, the one without anger is the greater.

1.74.7 What enmity mindless boys and girls may stir up — a wise person ought not to follow that course; they do not know the distinction between strength and weakness.

1.74.8 Devayānī said: I know, father, even though I am young, the distinction between the paths of dharma here; I also know the difference in strength and weakness in the matter of non-anger and harsh speech.

1.74.9 For one who wishes to flourish ought not to tolerate the ungurly conduct of a disciple. Therefore dwelling among those of mixed conduct does not please me.

1.74.10 Those men who censure by conduct and by birth — a wise person seeking the highest good ought not to dwell among such evil-minded ones.

1.74.11 But those who recognise one's worth by conduct and by birth — among such virtuous ones one ought to dwell; that dwelling is said to be the highest.

1.74.12 The ill-spoken, most terrible speech of the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan — I consider nothing harder to bear in all three worlds for one who, of lesser fortune, must attend upon the blazing prosperity of a rival.

1.75.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Kāvya, best of the Bhṛgus, filled with anger, approached Vṛṣaparvan who was seated and spoke to him directly without deliberation.

1.75.2 "Unrighteous conduct does not bear fruit at once, O king, like a cow; but if one does not see it in one's own self, it ripens surely in one's sons or grandsons — evil, when swallowed, inevitably bears fruit, as if eaten by a pregnant woman in the womb."

1.75.3 "When you caused the brahmin Kaca, the grandson of Aṅgiras, to be slain then — he who was of blameless character, a knower of dharma, devoted to service, content in my house —"

1.75.4 "On account of the undeserved killing of him, and on account of the assault on my daughter too, hear this, O Vṛṣaparvan: I shall abandon you along with your kinsmen; I shall not be able to remain in your domain, O king, with you."

1.75.5 "Ah, do you regard me, O demon, as one who speaks falsely — that you neither restrain nor heed this fault of your own?"

1.75.6 Vṛṣaparvan said: I do not recognise unrighteousness or false speech in you, O Bhārgava; in you dwell both dharma and truth. May you be gracious to us.

1.75.7 "If you abandon us, O Bhārgava, and go hence, we shall enter the ocean; there is no other refuge for us."

1.75.8 Śukra said: Enter the ocean or flee to the four directions, O asuras; I am not able to bear anything displeasing to my daughter, for she is beloved by me.

1.75.9 "Let Devayānī be propitiated; my very life depends on her; I am the guardian of your welfare and security as Bṛhaspati is to Indra."

1.75.10 Vṛṣaparvan said: Whatever wealth of the lords of the asuras exists on earth, O Bhārgava, whether elephants, cattle, or horses — of all that you are the master over mine.

1.75.11 Śukra said: Whatever treasure of the lords of the daityas there is, O great asura, I am its master; yet let Devayānī be propitiated if it pleases you.

1.75.12 Devayānī said: If you are the master of the king's wealth, O father, O Bhārgava, I do not acknowledge that for myself; let the king speak for himself.

1.75.13 Vṛṣaparvan said: Whatever desire you desire, O Devayānī, O pure-smiling one, that I shall bestow upon you even if it be hard to obtain.

1.75.14 Devayānī said: I desire Śarmiṣṭhā as my maidservant, together with a thousand maidens; let her attend upon me wherever my father shall give me away in marriage.

1.75.15 Vṛṣaparvan said: Rise, O attendant-woman, bring Śarmiṣṭhā quickly; and whatever desire Devayānī desires, let her fulfil it.

1.75.16 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the nurse went there and spoke these words to Śarmiṣṭhā: "Arise, noble Śarmiṣṭhā, bring happiness to your kinsmen."

1.75.17 "The brahmin, urged on by Devayānī, is abandoning his pupils. Whatever desire she holds, that must be fulfilled by you today, O sinless one."

1.75.18 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "Whatever desire she holds, I will fulfill it today. But let not Śukra and Devayānī depart on my account."

1.75.19 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, surrounded by a thousand maidens and carried in a palanquin, she swiftly departed from that foremost city by her father's command.

1.75.20 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "I, along with a thousand maidens, will be your servant and attendant. I will follow you wherever your father gives you in marriage."

1.75.21 Devayānī said: "You are the daughter of one who is praised and receives tribute, while I am the daughter of one who praises and renders tribute. How then can you become my servant?"

1.75.22 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "By whatever means one can bring happiness to afflicted kinsmen — for that reason I will follow you wherever your father gives you in marriage."

1.75.23 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan had thus promised her state of servitude, Devayānī, O best of kings, spoke these words to her father:

1.75.24 "I am entering the city, father; I am satisfied, O best of twice-born ones. Your wisdom is unfailing, and your power of learning is immense."

1.75.25 Thus addressed by his daughter, that best of twice-born men of great renown entered the city with joy, honored by all the demons.

1.76.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, after a long time, O best of kings, the fair-complexioned Devayānī went out to that very forest for sport.

1.76.2 Together with that thousand servant-maids and with Śarmiṣṭhā, she reached that very place and wandered there at will, greatly delighted, accompanied by all those companions.

1.76.3 All of them were happily sporting, drinking honey-wine, eating various delicacies, and biting into fruits.

1.76.4 And once again King Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa, arrived at that very spot by chance, seeking game, thirsting for water, and wearied by exertion.

1.76.5 He saw Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā and those women drinking and frolicking, adorned with divine ornaments.

1.76.6 And he saw the pure-smiling Devayānī seated among those women, incomparable in beauty, the finest of women, being waited upon by Śarmiṣṭhā with foot-massage and other services.

1.76.7 Yayāti said: "Each of you is attended by a thousand maidens. I ask you both your family lineages and names."

1.76.8 Devayānī said: "I will tell you — receive my words, O lord of men. Śukra is his name, the preceptor of the demons; know me as his daughter."

1.76.9 "And this one is my companion and servant, who goes wherever I go — Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, lord of the demons."

1.76.10 Yayāti said: "How can this maiden of fair complexion, the daughter of the lord of demons, be your companion and servant, O fair-browed one? I am greatly curious about this."

1.76.11 Devayānī said: "Everything follows the ordinance of fate, O tiger among men. Understanding this as decreed by fate, do not weave strange tales about it."

1.76.12 "Your form and dress are like a king's, yet you speak with a brahmin's speech. What is your name, where do you come from, and whose son are you? Tell me."

1.76.13 Yayāti said: "Through brahmacharya the entire Veda has entered the path of my hearing. I am a king and a king's son, known by the name Yayāti."

1.76.14 Devayānī said: "For what purpose have you come to this place, O king — to gather lotus-flowers, or out of desire for game?"

1.76.15 Yayāti said: "I came seeking game and water, O noble lady. I have also been much engaged in duties — please grant me leave of that."

1.76.16 Devayānī said: "Along with two thousand maidens and with my servant Śarmiṣṭhā, I am dependent on you. Blessings on you — be my companion and husband."

1.76.17 Yayāti said: "Know me, O daughter of Uśanas, blessings on you — I am not worthy of you, O passionate one. For kings are not fit to be wedded by those of your father's lineage."

1.76.18 Devayānī said: "The brahmin is mingled with the kshatriya and the kshatriya is joined with the brahmin; a seer and a seer's son — O Nāhuṣa, therefore take me in marriage."

1.76.19 Yayāti said: "Though the four varṇas are born from one body, O finest of women, they have separate dharmas and separate purities, and among them the brahmin is supreme."

1.76.20 Devayānī said: "This rite of taking the hand, O Nāhuṣa, has not been observed by men before — you were the first to take my hand, therefore I choose you."

1.76.21 "How could any other man touch my hand — mine, a woman of spirit — after it has been taken by you, a seer's son, or rather by you who are yourself a seer?"

1.76.22 Yayāti said: "To a man who knows, a brahmin is more difficult to assail than an enraged venomous serpent or an all-consuming fire."

1.76.23 Devayānī said: "Why do you say a brahmin is more difficult to assail than a venomous serpent or an all-consuming fire, O bull among men?"

1.76.24 Yayāti said: "A venomous serpent kills one; one can be slain by a weapon — but an enraged brahmin destroys entire kingdoms and their cities."

1.76.25 "Therefore a brahmin is more difficult to assail, so I believe, O timid one — and for this reason, O noble lady, I will not marry you without your being given by your father."

1.76.26 Devayānī said: "Take me as given by my father, O king — for you have been chosen by me. There is no fear for one who accepts a woman given freely."

1.76.27 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Devayānī quickly sent word to her father; and upon hearing it, the descendant of Bhṛgu presented the king before him.

1.76.28 Seeing Śukra arrived, Yayāti, lord of the earth, bowed to that brahmin, the descendant of Kavi, standing with folded hands in reverence.

1.76.29 Devayānī said: "This king, the son of Nahuṣa, took my hand in an inaccessible place, father. I bow to you — give me to him; I choose no other husband in the world."

1.76.30 Śukra said: "You have been chosen as husband by this daughter of mine whom I hold dear, O hero. Take her, given by me as your queen, O son of Nahuṣa."

1.76.31 Yayāti said: "Let no great transgression touch me here, O descendant of Bhṛgu — it is due to the sin born of mingling of varṇas that I appeal to you thus, O brahmin."

1.76.32 Śukra said: "I release you from the transgression — choose as you desire. Do not despair in this marriage; I remove the sin from you."

1.76.33 "Take the slender-waisted Devayānī as your wife according to dharma; together with her you will attain incomparable joy."

1.76.34 "And this maiden Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, should always be honored by you, O king — but never summon her to your bed."

1.76.35 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, Yayāti circumambulated Śukra and departed for his own city with joy, having received leave from that great-souled one.

1.77.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Yayāti reached his own city, resembling the city of great Indra, and entering the inner apartments, he installed Devayānī there.

1.77.2 With Devayānī's consent, he had a house built near the aśoka grove and installed there that daughter of Vṛṣaparvan.

1.77.3 Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of the asura line, attended by a thousand maidservants, was provided with garments, food, and drink, and treated with great honor.

1.77.4 Together with Devayānī, that king, son of Nahuṣa, sported for many years, greatly delighted like a god.

1.77.5 When the proper season came, Devayānī, that finest of women, conceived first and gave birth to a son.

1.77.6 When a thousand years had passed, Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvan, reaching the bloom of youth, saw that her season had come and reflected thus:

1.77.7 "The season has arrived, and yet I have no husband chosen for me. What has been gained? What must be done? What, if done, would be truly done?"

1.77.8 "Devayānī has borne a child, while I, having attained youth, am barren. As she chose her husband, so I too shall choose him."

1.77.9 "It is my firm resolve that the king must grant me the fruit of a son. Would that this righteous-souled one might come to me now in private."

1.77.10 Then, at that very time, the king came out by chance and encountered Śarmiṣṭhā standing near the aśoka grove.

1.77.11 Seeing him alone in a secluded spot, the lovely-smiling Śarmiṣṭhā went forward, made the anjali gesture, and spoke these words to the king:

1.77.12 "In the lineage of Soma, Indra, Viṣṇu, Yama, or Varuṇa — or in yours, O Nāhuṣa — who would be worthy to touch a woman?"

1.77.13 "For you, O king, have always known me by my beauty, lineage, and conduct. I, propitiating you, ask you — grant me the season's gift, O lord of men."

1.77.14 Yayāti said: "I know you as a maiden of the daitya race endowed with good conduct and without reproach; in your beauty I see not even a needle's point of fault."

1.77.15 "Yet Uśanas Kāvya told me when he entrusted Devayānī to me: 'This daughter of Vṛṣaparvan must never be summoned to your bed.'"

1.77.16 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "Words spoken in jest do not harm; nor do those spoken to women, O king, nor at the time of marriage, nor when life is at stake, nor when all one's wealth is being taken — these five kinds of untruth are said to be without sin."

1.77.17 "But one who speaks falsely when questioned as a witness, or one who is falsely accused — they say, O lord of men, that in a matter rightly and wholly agreed upon, falsehood does not harm the speaker of untruth."

1.77.18 Yayāti said: "A king is the measure of all beings; he would perish by speaking falsehood. Even in financial distress I am not inclined to act falsely."

1.77.19 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "These two are considered equal, O king: a husband and the husband of a companion. Marriage to both is called equal — you have been chosen as husband by my companion, so you are my husband too."

1.77.20 Yayāti said: "My vow is established that I must give to those who ask. You are asking me — speak your desire, what shall I do for you?"

1.77.21 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "Protect me from unrighteousness, O king, and establish dharma for me — having offspring from you, I could practice the highest dharma in the world."

1.77.22 "There are three who own no wealth, O king: the wife, the slave, and the son — whatever they acquire belongs to him to whom they belong."

1.77.23 "I am a maidservant of Devayānī and subject to the descendant of Bhṛgu, and so am I also within your care, O king — therefore take me as one whom you must support."

1.77.24 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, the king recognized this as true and honored Śarmiṣṭhā, fulfilling dharma for her.

1.77.25 Having come together with Śarmiṣṭhā and satisfied their desires, they honored one another and departed each the way they had come.

1.77.26 From that union, the fair-browed, lovely-smiling Śarmiṣṭhā first conceived from that best of kings.

1.77.27 And in due time, O king, the lotus-eyed one gave birth to a son resembling the offspring of a god, with eyes like lotus petals.

1.78.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing that a son had been born, the pure-smiling Devayānī became distressed and began to reflect regarding Śarmiṣṭhā, O Bhārata.

1.78.2 And approaching Śarmiṣṭhā, Devayānī said: "What is this wrong that you have done, O fair-browed one, overcome by desire?"

1.78.3 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "Some sage of righteous soul, master of the Vedas, came as a guest. He who grants boons was asked by me for the desire in accordance with dharma."

1.78.4 "I do not act upon desire unjustly, O pure-smiling one. This offspring of mine is from that sage — this I tell you truly."

1.78.5 Devayānī said: "Very well, O timid one, if it is true — then let that brahmin be identified. I wish to know that twice-born man by his lineage, name, and family."

1.78.6 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "Blazing with energy and splendor like the sun — upon seeing him, I had no power to question him, O pure-smiling one."

1.78.7 Devayānī said: "If that is so, Śarmiṣṭhā, then I harbor no anger — if you have obtained offspring from a brahmin who is both the eldest and the best."

1.78.8 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having thus spoken to one another and laughed together, the daughter of Bhṛgu returned home, accepting it as true.

1.78.9 King Yayāti begot two sons upon Devayānī — Yadu and Turvasu — who were like Indra and Viṣṇu themselves.

1.78.10 From that same royal sage, Śarmiṣṭhā the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan gave birth to three princes — Druhyu, Anu, and Pūru.

1.78.11 Then on a certain occasion, O king, the fair-smiling Devayānī went out into the great forest accompanied by Yayāti.

1.78.12 There she saw boys beautiful as gods playing at their ease, and astonished she said this:

1.78.13 "Whose are these children, O king, auspicious and resembling sons of gods? In radiance and form they seem to me like your own."

1.78.14 Having questioned the king thus, she then questioned the boys: "What are your names and lineage, little ones? Who is your brahmin father? Tell me truly — I wish to know him."

1.78.15 The boys pointed with their forefingers to that very best of kings, and they named Śarmiṣṭhā as their mother.

1.78.16 Having spoken so, they went together toward the king; but the king did not welcome them in Devayānī's presence. Then, weeping, the boys ran to Śarmiṣṭhā.

1.78.17 Seeing the boys' affection toward the king and understanding the truth of it, the noble lady spoke thus to Śarmiṣṭhā:

1.78.18 "Though you were under my authority, why have you done me this wrong? You have followed the ways of the asuras — do you not fear?"

1.78.19 Śarmiṣṭhā said: "What was said was that he was a sage — that is the truth, O lovely-smiling one. Acting rightly and in accordance with dharma, I do not fear you."

1.78.20 "When the king was chosen by you, he was then chosen by me as well — for a friend's husband is, by dharma, a husband, O beautiful one."

1.78.21 "You are my revered and honored elder — a brahmin woman, the most excellent. Yet even above you, the royal sage is most worthy of my veneration — do you not know that?"

1.78.22 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing her words, Devayānī then said: "O king, I will not stay here any longer — you have done me wrong."

1.78.23 Seeing the dark-complexioned woman suddenly rise with tears in her eyes, setting out swiftly toward Kāvya's abode, the king was then distressed.

1.78.24 Agitated, the king followed behind her, trying to soothe her — but she, her eyes reddened with anger, did not turn back.

1.78.25 Without saying anything to the king, the lovely-eyed woman swiftly arrived at the presence of Kāvya Uśanas.

1.78.26 Seeing her father, she paid her respects and stood before him; and thereupon Yayāti also honored the Bhārgava sage.

1.78.27 Devayānī said: "Dharma has been defeated by adharma; a descent into wrong has begun. I have been transgressed against by Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vṛṣaparvan."

1.78.28 "Three sons have been fathered upon her by this king Yayāti, while upon me, the ill-fortuned one, only two sons — this I tell you, father."

1.78.29 "This king, renowned as a knower of dharma, O scion of Bhṛgu, has transgressed the bounds of propriety — this, O Kāvya, I tell you."

1.78.30 Śukra said: O great king, though you know righteousness, you performed an unrighteous act for the sake of pleasure. Therefore, old age — unconquerable — will afflict you before long.

1.78.31 Yayāti said: O blessed one, when the daughter of the lord of the asuras came to me seeking her season, I went to her with an undivided mind — what I did was in accordance with dharma.

1.78.32 O brahmin, the man who has been chosen and yet does not give himself to a woman seeking her season is declared by those who expound sacred learning to be guilty of the sin of killing an embryo.

1.78.33 And the man who, when privately solicited by a woman who desires him and who may lawfully be approached, does not go to her — the wise declare him guilty of embryo-slaying in matters of dharma.

1.78.34 Weighing these considerations, O scion of Bhṛgu, and trembling with fear of unrighteousness, I went to Śarmiṣṭhā.

1.78.35 Śukra said: Surely you should have consulted me — you are under my authority, O king. In matters of dharma, false conduct amounts to theft, O son of Nahuṣa.

1.78.36 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa, was cursed by the enraged Uśanas; forthwith abandoning his former youth, he was instantly overtaken by old age.

1.78.37 Yayāti said: O scion of Bhṛgu, I am not yet sated with youth nor with Devayānī — show me your grace, O brahmin; let this old age not enter me.

1.78.38 Śukra said: I do not speak falsely in this — you have received old age, O lord of the earth. But this old age you may transfer to another, if you so wish.

1.78.39 Yayāti said: O brahmin, whichever son gives me his youth shall be heir to the kingdom, shall partake of merit, and shall also partake of glory — may you sanction this.

1.78.40 Śukra said: You will transfer the old age as you wish, O son of Nahuṣa — meditating on me with sincere heart you shall not incur sin.

1.78.41 Whichever son gives you his youth, he shall become king — long-lived, glorious, and blessed with many offspring as well.

1.79.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having obtained old age and having returned to his own city, Yayāti spoke these words to his eldest and most excellent son Yadu:

1.79.2 "Old age, wrinkles, and white hairs have overtaken me, my son, by the curse of Kāvya Uśanas, and I am not yet satisfied with youth."

1.79.3 "You, Yadu, take up this affliction of old age; with your youth let me enjoy the pleasures of the senses."

1.79.4 "When a full thousand years have passed, I will give back your youth to you and resume my own affliction of old age."

1.79.5 Yadu said: "With white beard and white hair, wretched, loosened by old age, with wrinkles covering every limb, unsightly, feeble, emaciated —

1.79.6 "— incapable of action, scorned by the young and by dependents alike, such old age I do not desire."

1.79.7 Yayāti said: "Because you, born from my heart, do not give me your youth, your progeny, my son, shall not partake of kingship."

1.79.8 "Turvasu, take up this affliction of old age; with your youth I will indeed enjoy the pleasures of the senses, my son."

1.79.9 "When a full thousand years have passed, I will give back your youth and I myself will resume the affliction of old age."

1.79.10 Turvasu said: "I do not desire old age, father — it destroys the enjoyment of desires, it ends strength and beauty, it ruins intellect and vital breath."

1.79.11 Yayāti said: "Because you, born from my heart, do not give me your youth, your lineage, O Turvasu, shall come to complete extinction."

1.79.12 "Among those of mixed conduct and dharma, among those who act contrary to social order, among flesh-eaters and outcastes, you fool, shall you be a king."

1.79.13 "Among those addicted to their elders' wives, among those fallen into animal wombs, among the sinful who follow the ways of beasts, among the mlecchas, shall you hold sway."

1.79.14 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having thus cursed Turvasu, Yayāti spoke these words to his own son Druhyu, the son of Śarmiṣṭhā:

1.79.15 "Druhyu, take up this old age that destroys complexion and form; give me your youth for a thousand years."

1.79.16 "When a full thousand years have passed, I will give back your youth and I myself will once again take up the affliction of old age."

1.79.17 Druhyu said: "An old man enjoys neither elephant, nor chariot, nor horse, nor woman — his speech too becomes broken. Therefore I do not desire that old age."

1.79.18 Yayāti said: "Because you, born from my heart, do not give me your youth, O Druhyu, your cherished desires shall nowhere be fulfilled."

1.79.19 "In a land where crossing is always only by raft and float, without a king, you and your descendants shall bear the name of Bhoja."

1.79.20 "Anu, take up this affliction of old age; for one thousand years let me enjoy with your youth."

1.79.21 Anu said: "An old man takes food like a child, at unseasonable times, like one impure; he does not offer into the sacred fire at the proper hour. That old age I do not desire."

1.79.22 Yayāti said: "Because you, born from my heart, do not give me your youth, the very fault of old age you have named — that you shall receive."

1.79.23 "And your offspring, O Anu, shall perish upon reaching youth; and you yourself shall likewise be devoted to neglecting the sacred fire."

1.79.24 "Pūru, you are my beloved son; you shall be the greatest. Old age, wrinkles, and white hair have overtaken me, my son, by the curse of Kāvya Uśanas, and I am not satisfied with youth."

1.79.25 "Pūru, take up this affliction of old age; for some time let me truly enjoy the pleasures of the senses with your youthful vigor."

1.79.26 "When a full thousand years have passed, I will give back your youth, and I myself will resume the affliction of old age."

1.79.27 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, Pūru replied to his father straightforwardly: "As you have told me, O great king, so I will carry out your words."

1.79.28 "I will take up from you the affliction of old age, O king. Take my youth and enjoy desires as you wish."

1.79.29 "Covered by old age, bearing your form of age, having given my youth to you, I will conduct myself as you have directed me."

1.79.30 Yayāti said: "Pūru, I am pleased with you, my child; and pleased, I give you this: your progeny in the kingdom shall be endowed with fulfillment of all desires."

1.80.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, with the youth of the Paurava, Yayāti the son of Nahuṣa, delighted, that best of kings, pursued his beloved pleasures.

1.80.2 As he desired, with all his energy, in due season and according to his happiness, the lord of kings enjoyed pleasures unopposed to dharma, as was fitting for him.

1.80.3 He gratified the gods with sacrifices, and likewise the ancestors with śrāddha offerings; the needy with desired gifts and boons; and the best of the twice-born with desired goods.

1.80.4 He honored guests with food and drink, the commoners with protection, the śūdras with kindness, and suppressed bandits with firm restraint.

1.80.5 Delighting all his subjects properly with righteousness, Yayāti protected them like a second Indra himself.

1.80.6 That king, bold as a lion, youthful, roaming through the field of pleasures, pursued the highest happiness without transgressing dharma.

1.80.7 Having obtained auspicious pleasures, satisfied and yet wearied, the lord of men, that ruler of earth, recalled the time — the end of a thousand years.

1.80.8 Reckoning up the moments and the divisions of time, that knower of time, that valiant one, judged the period complete and spoke to his son Pūru:

1.80.9 "As I desired, with full energy, and in due season, O subduer of foes, pleasures have been enjoyed by me, my son, with your youth."

1.80.10 "Pūru, I am pleased with you — blessings upon you. Take back this your own youth, and take also this kingdom — for you are the son who has done me pleasure."

1.80.11 Then King Yayāti the son of Nahuṣa resumed old age, and Pūru recovered his own youth once again.

1.80.12 When the king wished to consecrate Pūru, his youngest son, the four estates headed by the brahmins spoke these words:

1.80.13 "How, O lord, will you give the kingdom to Pūru, passing over the eldest, Yadu — the grandson of Śukra and son of Devayānī?"

1.80.14 "Yadu was born your eldest son; after him Turvasu; Śarmiṣṭhā's son Druhyu came next, then Anu, and only then Pūru."

1.80.15 "How can the youngest deserve the kingdom, passing over the elders? We set this before you — uphold dharma."

1.80.16 Yayāti said: "Let all the estates, headed by the brahmins, hear my words: as to the eldest, the kingdom is in no way to be given by me to him."

1.80.17 "My command was not followed by my eldest, Yadu; and he who acts contrary to his father is not considered a son by the righteous."

1.80.18 He who obeys the words of his mother and father, who is devoted and beneficial to them — he is a true son; and he who conducts himself toward his parents as a son should.

1.80.19 By Yadu I was disrespected, and likewise by Turvasu; by Druhyu and by Anu too, great contempt was shown toward me.

1.80.20 My word was fulfilled by Pūru, and I was honored by him especially; he is my youngest heir, he who bore my old age — and my desire was accomplished by Pūru, who proved himself a true son.

1.80.21 And a boon was granted by Śukra himself, the sage Uśanas Kavya: 'The son who obeys you shall be a king, lord of the earth.' Appealing to you on this ground, let Pūru be consecrated to the kingdom.

1.80.22 The subjects said: A son who is endowed with virtues and is always devoted to the welfare of his mother and father deserves all prosperity, O lord, even if he is the youngest.

1.80.23 Pūru deserves this kingdom; he is the son who has done what pleases you. By virtue of Śukra's boon, there is no reply that can be made against it.

1.80.24 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by the satisfied townspeople and country folk, Nahuṣa's son at that time anointed his own son Pūru in the kingdom.

1.80.25 Having given the kingdom to Pūru and consecrated himself for forest-dwelling, the king departed from the city accompanied by brahmins and ascetics.

1.80.26 From Yadu were born the Yādavas; from Turvasu's sons came the Yavanas; from Druhyu's sons came the Bhojas; and from Anu came the tribes of the mlecchas.

1.80.27 From Pūru came the Paurava lineage, in which you were born, O king — he who was master enough to wield the kingdom for a thousand years.

1.81.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus king Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa, having joyfully consecrated his desired son to the kingdom, became a forest-dweller and a sage.

1.81.2 And having dwelt in the forest, taking refuge with brahmins, subsisting on fruits and roots, self-restrained and great-souled, he departed from here to heaven.

1.81.3 Having gone to the abode of the gods and dwelling there joyfully and happily, after no very great span of time he was cast down again by Śakra.

1.81.4 Falling, dislodged from heaven, before he could reach the surface of the earth, he stood suspended in mid-air — so I have heard.

1.81.5 And thence he again went to heaven — so goes the tradition — having met, it is said, in an assembly with king Vasumat, with the valiant Aṣṭaka, with Pratardana, and with Śibi.

1.81.6 Janamejaya said: By what deed did that lord of the earth once more attain heaven? I wish to hear all of this fully and truly, O brahmin, as related by you in the presence of the assembly of brahmin-sages.

1.81.7 For Yayāti, lord of the earth, was equal to the king of the gods; he was the increaser of the Kuru lineage, blazing with a splendor equal to the sun.

1.81.8 I wish to hear the conduct of that great-souled one of wide-spread fame and true renown — both in heaven and here on earth, in every regard.

1.81.9 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Very well, I shall tell you the later story of Yayāti — meritorious both in heaven and here on earth, and destructive of all sins.

1.81.10 King Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa, having joyfully consecrated his youngest son Pūru to the kingdom, then set forth to the forest.

1.81.11 Having placed his sons led by Yadu on the frontiers, the king, subsisting on fruits and roots, dwelt for a long time in the forest.

1.81.12 With sharpened self, having conquered anger, satisfying the ancestors and the gods, and offering oblations into the sacred fires according to rule, following the ordinances of the forest-dweller stage.

1.81.13 The mighty one honored guests with forest oblations, following the practice of gleaning fallen grain, eating only what remained after others were fed.

1.81.14 The king maintained this conduct for a full thousand years; for thirty autumns he subsisted on water alone, with restrained speech and mind.

1.81.15 Then he became a subsister on air alone for a year without slackening; and for a year the king performed austerities in the midst of the five fires.

1.81.16 And he stood on one foot for six months, subsisting on wind; then he of holy fame went to heaven, having pervaded both heaven and earth.

1.82.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: That foremost of kings, having gone to heaven, dwelling in the abode of the gods, was honored by the Tridaśa gods, the Sādhyas, the Maruts, and the Vasus.

1.82.2 Moving from the world of the gods to the world of Brahmā, that meritorious, self-controlled guardian of the earth dwelt there for a long time — so goes the tradition.

1.82.3 At some point that best of kings, Yayāti, came to Śakra; and at the end of their conversation, the lord of the earth was questioned by Śakra.

1.82.4 Śakra said: When Pūru, O king, bearing your old age in your form, roamed the earth, and when you gave the kingdom to him — what did you say to him? Tell me truly.

1.82.5 Yayāti said: 'All this territory between the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā is yours; you are king in the middle of the earth — your brothers are rulers of the borderlands.'

1.82.6 'The one free from anger is superior to the wrathful; likewise the forbearing is superior to the unfor-bearing; humans are paramount over non-humans; and so the wise man is paramount over the ignorant.'

1.82.7 'When reviled, one should not revile in return — the patient man's anger alone burns up the reviler, and he himself gains merit.'

1.82.8 'One should not be wounding, nor speak cruelly; one should not seize upon another's weakness. The speech that causes another to tremble — one should not utter that harsh word that leads to evil worlds.'

1.82.9 'A man who is wounding, harsh of speech, piercing people with the thorns of his words — know him to be the most inauspicious of people, bearing destruction bound to his mouth.'

1.82.10 'One should be honored by the good from the front and protected by the good from behind; one should always forbear the excessive speech of the wicked; and conducting oneself nobly, one should adopt the conduct of the good.'

1.82.11 'Word-arrows fly forth from the mouth; struck by them, one grieves through nights and days. When they strike another's vital spots — a wise man should never discharge such words at others.'

1.82.12 'Indeed there is no means of winning over others in the three worlds like friendliness toward all beings, giving, and sweet speech.'

1.82.13 'Therefore one should always speak gently and never speak harshly anywhere; one should honor those worthy of honor; one should give and never beg.'

1.83.1 Indra said: Having completed all your duties, O king, you abandoned your home and went to the forest. This I ask you, O son of Nahuṣa — with whose austerity are you equal, O Yayāti?

1.83.2 Yayāti said: I see no one equal to myself in austerity — not among gods and men, not among gandharvas and great sages, O Vāsava.

1.83.3 Indra said: Because you held in contempt those equal to you and even superior to you, not knowing their power — therefore your worlds are now finite; your merit exhausted, you have fallen today, O king.

1.83.4 Yayāti said: If my worlds are exhausted, O Śakra, by having shown contempt for gods, sages, gandharvas, and men — then I wish, though bereft of the heavenly world, to fall among the good, O king of the gods.

1.83.5 Indra said: You have fallen in the presence of the good, O king; having fallen, you will regain your footing once more. Knowing this, O Yayāti, do not again despise those equal to you and those superior to you.

1.83.6 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, seeing Yayāti falling, having abandoned the blessed worlds cherished by the king of immortals, the foremost royal sage Aṣṭaka, guardian of the ordinances of right conduct, spoke to him.

1.83.7 'Who are you, youthful and equal in form to Vāsava, blazing with your own splendor like fire, falling from the sky out of the darkness of rising storm-clouds, like the sun, supreme among sky-travellers?'

1.83.8 'Seeing you falling from the path of the sun, your immeasurable radiance like fire and the sun, all of us, speculating what indeed is this that falls, are utterly bewildered.'

1.83.9 'And seeing you stationed in the path of the gods, with power equal to Śakra, the sun, and Viṣṇu, all of us have come forward today to meet you, desiring to know the truth of your fall.'

1.83.10 'We did not dare to question you first, and you do not ask us who we are. So we ask you of desirable form: whose son are you? And for what reason have you come?'

1.83.11 'But let fear depart from you; abandon grief and confusion quickly, O you of form equal to the lord of gods — for while you remain in the presence of the good, even Śakra, the slayer of Bala, is not able to harm you.'

1.83.12 'For the good are truly the foundation for those dislodged from happiness; the good are always like the king of immortals. Those lords of the moving and unmoving are gathered here; you stand firm among the good who are your equals.'

1.83.13 'Fire is lord in burning, earth is lord in sustaining, the sun is lord in illuminating — and one who has come to the good is lord.'

1.84.1 Yayāti said: I am Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa, father of Pūru; through contempt for all beings I have been cast down from the worlds of gods, siddhas, and sages; having fallen away, I fall, my merit exhausted.

1.84.2 'I am older in age than all of you; therefore I do not offer salutation to you — for he who is elder by learning, austerity, or birth is worthy of worship among the twice-born.'

1.84.3 Aṣṭaka said: If you said that he who is elder in years is the elder, O king, then you should have saluted us in some manner — for he who is truly wise and elder in years is the one worthy of worship among the twice-born.

1.84.4 Yayāti said: They call sin the course contrary to right action; it dwells in one inclined toward evil worlds. The good do not go along with the wicked in this, like a self that speaks in accordance with what is agreeable to them.

1.84.5 'My wealth was immense and great; yet striving I could not retain it. He who, having reflected thus and fixed his mind on his own welfare, conducts himself accordingly — he truly knows how to live.'

1.84.6 'Many and various are the states of existence in the world of the living, governed by fate, with their efforts and powers lost. Encountering each such state, the wise man should not be distressed, thinking with steady mind: fate is supreme.'

1.84.7 'Whether a creature obtains happiness or suffering, it is under the control of fate, not by its own power. Therefore, holding fate to be supreme, one should neither burn with grief nor ever exult.'

1.84.8 'The wise man should not be tormented by sorrow nor exult in happiness; he should always conduct himself with equanimity, thinking fate to be supreme — he should neither burn with grief nor ever exult.'

1.84.9 'I am never deluded by fear, O Aṣṭaka; there is no mental anguish in me whatsoever, thinking: as the Creator ordains my existence in the world, so certainly shall I be.'

1.84.10 'Creatures born from sweat, born from eggs, and those that sprout from the earth; reptiles, worms, fish in the waters; stones, grass, and wood — all at the exhaustion of their ordained span return to their own nature.'

1.84.11 'Understanding the impermanence of pleasure and pain, why should I, O Aṣṭaka, indulge in anguish? What shall I do, and having done what shall I not grieve? Therefore, vigilant, I abandon all anguish.'

1.84.12 Aṣṭaka said: What worlds, O foremost of earthly kings, were the chief ones you enjoyed, and for how long, and in what manner? Tell me all of this, O king, exactly as it was — for you speak of dharma like one who knows the field.

1.84.13 Yayāti said: I was here a universal sovereign of all the earth; then I won great worlds. I dwelt there for just a thousand years; then I advanced to a higher world.

1.84.14 Then in the delightful city of Puruhūta — with a thousand gates, extending a hundred yojanas — I dwelt for just a thousand years; then I advanced to a higher world.

1.84.15 Then having attained the divine, ageless world of Prajāpati, lord of worlds — difficult to reach — I dwelt there for just a thousand years; then I advanced to a higher world.

1.84.16 And in the dwelling of god after god, having won the worlds, I dwelt as I pleased, honored by all the Tridaśa gods, equal in power and splendor to the lords.

1.84.17 And thus I dwelt in Nandana, taking whatever form I desired, for a hundred times ten thousand years, roaming with the apsaras, smelling the sacred fragrances, beholding the flowering trees of beautiful form.

1.84.18 When I was stationed there, absorbed in the pleasures of the gods, after a very great time had passed, a messenger of the gods of terrible form cried out loudly three times in a prolonged voice: 'Fall!'

1.84.19 This is all that I know, O lion among kings; then I fell from Nandana, my merit exhausted. And I heard the voices of the gods in the sky, lamenting with compassion, O lord of men.

1.84.20 'Alas, how painful — Yayāti, whose merit is exhausted, he who wrought merit and had a holy name, is falling.' Then I, while falling, said to them: 'How might I fall among the good?'

1.84.21 By them was this sacrificial ground of yours pointed out to me; perceiving it, I came here swiftly, guided by the fragrance of the oblations of this sacrificial ground, following the trail of the smoke with confidence.

1.85.1 Aṣṭaka said: When you dwelt in Nandana taking whatever form you desired, for a hundred times ten thousand years — what was the reason, O foremost one of the Kṛta age, that abandoning that estate you descended to the earth?

1.85.2 Yayāti said: Just as here a kinsman, friend, or companion is abandoned by people when his wealth is exhausted — so there, when a person's merit is exhausted, the assemblies of gods together with their lords abandon him at once.

1.85.3 Aṣṭaka said: How does their merit become exhausted in that place? My mind is greatly bewildered on this point. What are their characteristics, and to whose abode do they go? Tell me that indeed — you are regarded by me as one who knows the field.

1.85.4 Yayāti said: They all fall into this earthly hell, O lord of men, lamenting. Exhausted, as food for herons, jackals, and vultures, they go in many directions to grow again.

1.85.5 'Therefore this corrupted and censurable action in the world is to be avoided by a man. All of this has been told to you, O king; say now what more I may tell you.'

1.85.6 Aṣṭaka said: When the birds peck at them — vultures, blue-necked herons, and insects — how do they come to be, how do they come into existence? I hear of no other hell than this earthly one.

1.85.7 Yayāti said: Rising upward from the body as karma expands, they clearly wander upon the earth; they fall into this earthly hell and do not look back for many, many years.

1.85.8 Sixty thousand years they fall through the sky, and then eighty more years besides; as they plummet headlong in their fall, terrible earthbound rākṣasas with sharp fangs torment them.

1.85.9 Aṣṭaka said: When those terrible earthbound rākṣasas with sharp fangs torment the falling sinners, how do they come into being, how do they come to exist — in what manner do they become embryonic beings?

1.85.10 Yayāti said: Blood, seed, and the essence of flowers and fruits — that which is emitted by the man follows along; that indeed enters the woman's menstrual blood, and becoming an embryo it arrives there.

1.85.11 They enter into trees and medicinal plants, into water, wind, earth, and the atmosphere, into all four-footed creatures and two-footed beings as well — in this manner do they become embryonic beings.

1.85.12 Aṣṭaka said: Does the embryo fashion a different body here, or does it go of its own will when entering this human womb? Explain this to me — I speak from doubt.

1.85.13 And how does the body with its form arise, and by what means does it gain awareness through eye and ear? Tell me all this truth when questioned — for we all regard you, dear one, as one who knows the field.

1.85.14 Yayāti said: The wind draws up the embryonic matrix; in the fertile season it is mingled with the essence of seed and flower. There, holding sway through the subtle elements, it gradually nourishes and develops the embryo here.

1.85.15 As it is born with its limbs fully formed, the human being is grounded in six modes of cognition; by means of the ears it perceives sound here, and sees all form through the eyes.

1.85.16 By the nose it smells fragrance, by the tongue it tastes flavour, by the skin it knows touch, and by the mind it knows inner states — so know, O Aṣṭaka, the accumulation of senses in the body of the great-souled living being.

1.85.17 Aṣṭaka said: When a man has died and is burned, or is buried, or is ground to dust — having passed into non-being and reached destruction, by what means does the self become conscious again hereafter?

1.85.18 Yayāti said: Having abandoned the vital breaths like one falling asleep, having groaned, having placed merit and demerit before it, it follows at the tip of the wind, O lion among kings, and having left the body it enters another womb.

1.85.19 Those who have done good go to an auspicious womb; those who have done evil go to an evil womb — the wicked become insects and moths. I have no desire to say more, O great one.

1.85.20 Four-footed creatures, two-footed beings, and six-legged insects — in this way do they become embryonic forms. All this has been told to you in full; what more do you ask, O lion among kings?

1.85.21 Aṣṭaka said: By doing what, dear one, does a mortal attain the highest worlds — by asceticism or by knowledge? Being asked, tell me all this truthfully, by what means one may reach the auspicious worlds in due order.

1.85.22 Yayāti said: Asceticism, charity, tranquillity of mind, self-restraint, modesty, uprightness, and compassion toward all beings — these always perish in a man when overcome by darkness through arrogance; so say the good.

1.85.23 He who studies and fancies himself a scholar yet destroys the reputation of others through his learning — his worlds come to an end, and that sacred knowledge bears no fruit for him.

1.85.24 Four acts that should bring fearlessness bring fear instead when performed with arrogance: the agnihotra performed with arrogance, silence practiced with arrogance, learning undertaken with arrogance, and the sacrifice offered with arrogance.

1.85.25 One should not take joy when honoured, nor grieve when dishonoured; the good honour the good in this world — the wicked never attain the insight of the virtuous.

1.85.26 "Thus shall I give, thus shall I sacrifice, thus shall I study — this is my vow": in such attitude they speak of fearless deeds, yet these very things are to be avoided always when done from egotism.

1.85.27 Through that ancient refuge which the wise, devoted equally to honour and dishonour, come to know — attaining that supreme luminous form of the highest good, they reach perfect peace, both here and after death.

1.86.1 Aṣṭaka said: How does the householder, pursuing his duties, reach the gods? How does the mendicant? How does the teacher's pupil? And the forest-dweller established on the good path? Many things are now known about this.

1.86.2 Yayāti said: He who studies when called upon, who is diligent in the teacher's work without being prompted, who rises first and retires last, who is gentle, restrained, steadfast, and heedful, and devoted to personal study — such a brahmacharī attains success.

1.86.3 Having acquired wealth obtained by righteous means, one should sacrifice, give freely, and always feed guests; and one should not take what has not been given by others — this is the ancient secret teaching of the householder.

1.86.4 He who lives by his own exertion, who has turned away from sin, who gives to others without tormenting any being — such a sage, dwelling in the forest with regulated food and conduct, attains the highest success.

1.86.5 He who lives without a craft, perpetually without a home, with senses conquered, wholly freed from all bonds, who moves from one resting place to another, light and of few wants, wandering through lands alone — he is the true mendicant.

1.86.6 The night by which the worlds are won, by which desires are conquered and joys obtained — that very night the wise man, with a disciplined self, should strive to dwell in the forest.

1.86.7 Ten ancestors before him, ten relatives after, and himself as the twenty-first — the forest-dweller places them all in the realm of good deeds, releasing the constituent elements of his own body in the forest.

1.86.8 Aṣṭaka said: How many kinds of sages are there, and how many kinds of silence are there? Tell us this — we wish to hear.

1.86.9 Yayāti said: He for whom the village lies behind while dwelling in the forest, or for whom the forest lies behind while dwelling in the village — that man may be called a sage, O lord of the people.

1.86.10 Aṣṭaka said: How is it that when one dwells in the forest the village comes to lie behind, and how is it that when dwelling in the village the forest comes to lie behind?

1.86.11 Yayāti said: He who would be a forest-dwelling sage should not make use of village things; in that way, even while dwelling in the forest, the village comes to lie behind him.

1.86.12 Without fire, without a fixed dwelling, moving without clan affiliations, the sage should desire clothing only to the extent of a loincloth for covering.

1.86.13 He should desire food only to the extent of sustaining the vital breaths — in that way, even while dwelling in the village, the forest comes to lie behind him.

1.86.14 But the sage who abandons desires, who has given up action, whose senses are conquered, and who abides in silence — he attains perfection in this world.

1.86.15 With teeth washed, nails trimmed, always bathed and adorned, dark in complexion yet established in pure deeds — who would not be worthy to worship such a one?

1.86.16 Emaciated by austerity, lean, with flesh, bone, and blood wasted away — when the sage becomes free from the pairs of opposites and abides in silence, then, having conquered this world, he conquers the world beyond.

1.86.17 When the sage seeks his food with his mouth alone like a cow, then whatever was his former world becomes fit for immortality.

1.87.1 Aṣṭaka said: Which of these two first attains oneness with the gods, as they both race, O king, like the sun and the moon?

1.87.2 Yayāti said: The mendicant who is without a fixed home, who is restrained amid householders given over to desire, who dwells in the very village — he of the two has gone ahead.

1.87.3 He who has not attained a long life and yet has met with adversity should practise austerity; if he has done that and practises it, let him then proceed to other austerities beyond that.

1.87.4 What is cruel they call harmful; he who practises dharma with a mind set on what is not right — even he is without true self-mastery, O king; that uprightness is his concentration, that his nobility.

1.87.5 Aṣṭaka said: By whom were you sent as a messenger today, O king — young, garlanded, handsome, radiant? From where have you come, and in which direction are you? Or do you have a royal station?

1.87.6 Yayāti said: My merit exhausted, I have been scattered from the sky to enter this earthly hell; having spoken to you, I shall fall at once — the brahmins and the world-guardians urge me on.

1.87.7 My fall has been chosen in the presence of the good — they are all assembled here and endowed with virtue. This boon was obtained by me even from Indra — that I should fall upon the earth, O lord of men.

1.87.8 Aṣṭaka said: I ask you — do not fall in your fall; if there are worlds belonging to me here, whether stationed in the atmosphere or in the sky, take them — I regard you as one who knows the field of dharma.

1.87.9 Yayāti said: As many as the cows and horses distributed over the earth, along with the forest animals and mountains — that many worlds of yours are established in the sky. Know it thus, O lion among lords of men.

1.87.10 Aṣṭaka said: I give you those worlds of mine — do not fall in your fall; whatever worlds of mine exist in the sky, whether stationed in the atmosphere or established in the heavens, mount them quickly, O destroyer of enemies.

1.87.11 Yayāti said: One like me who is not a brahmin, even if learned in the Vedas, does not engage in receiving gifts, O foremost among kings; as what should constantly be given to the twice-born, so did I formerly give, O lord of men.

1.87.12 A non-brahmin should never live a wretched life depending on others; likewise a brahmin woman who is the wife of a hero — I am such a one; what good would it be if I were to do what was never done before, when seeking to know the truth?

1.87.13 Pratardana said: I ask you, O one of desirable form — I am Pratardana; if there are worlds belonging to me, whether stationed in the atmosphere or established in the sky, I offer them; I regard you as one who knows the field of dharma.

1.87.14 Yayāti said: Many worlds are yours, O lord of men; even individually they are seven times seven days each — dripping with honey, mixed with clarified butter, free from grief; those boundless worlds await you.

1.87.15 Pratardana said: I give you those worlds — do not fall in your fall; whatever worlds are mine, let them truly be yours; whether stationed in the atmosphere or established in the sky, mount them quickly, O one freed from delusion.

1.87.16 Yayāti said: One of equal splendour should not desire another's merits; being a king, O king, and meeting with adversity by the decree of fate, the wise man should not act cruelly — for a king should never do so.

1.87.17 Contemplating the path of righteousness and honour, a king should act with regard to dharma; one like me, who knows dharma in mind, knowing it, should not act so wretchedly as you describe.

1.87.18 I should do what is unprecedented, not done by others — what good is there in that when one is seeking to know the truth? As king Yayāti spoke thus, the most eminent of kings, Vasumanā, addressed him.

1.88.1 Vasumanā said: I ask you — I am Vasumanā, son of Rauśadaśva; if there is a world in the sky for me, O lord of men, whether spread through the atmosphere, O great-souled one, I offer it; I regard you as one who knows the field of dharma.

1.88.2 Yayāti said: What the atmosphere, the earth, the directions, and the radiant sun illuminates with its brilliance — that many worlds are established in the sky for you; those boundless worlds await you.

1.88.3 Vasumanā said: I give you those worlds — do not fall in your fall; whatever worlds are mine, let them truly be yours; buy them even for a blade of grass, O king — if the act of receiving a gift is truly corrupted for you.

1.88.4 Yayāti said: I do not recall having made a false sale; I would not doubtfully take something obtained in vain from a child, nor would I do what was never done by others — what good is there in that when seeking to know?

1.88.5 Vasumanā said: Accept those worlds, O king, given by me; if the purchase is not to your liking, I shall not take them back, O lord of men — let all those worlds truly be yours.

1.88.6 Śibi said: I ask you — I am Śibi, son of Uśīnara; if there are worlds for me here as well, dear one, whether in the atmosphere or established in the sky, I offer them — I regard you as one who knows the field of dharma.

1.88.7 Yayāti said: You, O wise one, have never slighted with word or even with heart those who sought your protection, O lord of men; therefore boundless worlds are established in the sky for you — vast, radiant as lightning, resonant with sound.

1.88.8 Śibi said: Accept those worlds, O king, given by me; if the purchase is not to your liking, I shall not take them back now having given them — go to those worlds which you worship, and dwell there.

1.88.9 Yayāti said: As you are equal in splendour to Indra, so too are your worlds boundless, O lord of men; yet I take no pleasure today in what has been given by another; therefore, O Śibi, I do not rejoice in the gift.

1.88.10 Aṣṭaka said: If you do not accept our worlds one by one, O king, then we shall all go to hell by giving them to you.

1.88.11 Yayāti said: Give what is worthy to one who is worthy — you who are good, by the virtue of truth and non-cruelty; but I do not dare to do what was never done by me before.

1.88.12 Aṣṭaka said: Whose are these five golden chariots that appear before us, standing high, gleaming, blazing like the flame of fire?

1.88.13 Yayāti said: These five golden chariots will carry you — standing high, gleaming, blazing like the flame of fire.

1.88.14 Aṣṭaka said: Mount the chariot, O king, stride forth through the sky; we too will follow when the time comes.

1.88.15 Yayāti said: Now all must go together — we who have won heaven; this pure, unsullied path to the abode of the gods lies visible before us.

1.88.16 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: They all mounted the chariots and set forth, those most excellent of kings, ascending to heaven with their radiance, filling both heaven and earth with their dharma.

1.88.17 Aṣṭaka said: I think I alone am going ahead — and Indra is my great-souled friend in every way; but why has this Śibi, son of Uśīnara, alone surpassed all others with full speed in his vehicle?

1.88.18 Yayāti said: This son of Uśīnara gave to the divine path all the wealth he possessed; therefore Śibi is indeed the best among us.

1.88.19 Charity, austerity, truth, dharma, modesty, fortune, forgiveness, O gentle one, and endurance — O king, these virtues of that matchless king, of Śibi of non-cruelty in mind, stand firm. And because he is of such conduct and restrained by modesty — therefore Śibi has indeed surpassed all in his chariot.

1.88.20 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Aṣṭaka questioned his maternal grandfather once more out of curiosity, that one equal to Indra: "I ask you, O king, tell me truly — from where are you, whose son are you, and whose are you? What you have done, no other doer of that deed exists — no other kṣatriya or brahmin in the world besides you."

1.88.21 Yayāti said: I am Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa; I was here as the universal emperor, father of Pūru; I tell you this hidden matter as my own — I am your maternal grandfather, now revealed to you.

1.88.22 I conquered all this earth and, having bound it as a package, I gave it to the brahmins; I gave consecrated horses, single-hoofed and well-formed; then the gods became sharers in the merit.

1.88.23 I gave the earth to the brahmins — this entire full earth — along with cattle as tribute, gold, and the finest riches; therein were ten billion cows.

1.88.24 By my truth, both the sky and the earth-bearing goddess stand firm, and fire blazes among human beings; not one word spoken by me has been in vain — for the good honour truth, as do all the gods, the sages, and the worlds; it is the thought of my mind that the worthy are honoured by truth.

1.88.25 Whoever, without envy, recounts to the foremost of the twice-born all of us who have won heaven, exactly as it happened — he shall attain the same world as ours.

1.88.26 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus that great-souled king Yayāti, the destroyer of foes, was ferried across by his own grandsons. Having abandoned the earth, he whose deeds were supremely noble ascended to heaven, his karmas pervading the whole world.

1.89.1 Janamejaya said: Venerable one, I wish to hear about the kings who continued the line of Pūru — what valor they possessed, what manner of men they were, how many there were, and what their prowess.

1.89.2 For in this lineage there has never at any time been a king who was lacking in good character, or lacking in valor, or without progeny.

1.89.3 O wealth of austerity, I wish to hear in detail the deeds of those kings whose conduct was celebrated and who were endowed with discernment.

1.89.4 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Well then, I shall tell you what you ask of me — the heroic upholders of Pūru's lineage, whose splendor rivaled that of Indra.

1.89.5 Pravīra, Īśvara, and Raudrāśva — three great chariot-warriors — were born to Pūru by Pauṣṭī; of them, Pravīra continued the line.

1.89.6 From him was born Manasyu, valiant son of Śyenī, a lord and protector of the earth to its four horizons, with eyes like lotus petals.

1.89.7 Subhrū, Saṃhana, and Vāgmī — three sons of Sauvīrī — were born to Manasyu; all were brave great chariot-warriors.

1.89.8 Raudrāśva's ten sons by an apsarā were great archers who performed sacrifices, born as brave men with abundant progeny and great learning; all were knowledgeable in every weapon, all were devoted to dharma.

1.89.9 They were Ṛcepu, Kakṣepu, the valiant Kṛkaṇepu, Sthaṇḍilepu, Vanepu, and Sthalepuṣa the great chariot-warrior.

1.89.10 Tejepu the powerful and wise, Satyepu of Indra-like valor, Dharmepu, Saṃnatepu — the tenth with the prowess of a god — these sons of Anādhṛṣṭi, dear one, all performed the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.

1.89.11 After them king Matināra, learned son of Carcepu, was born; O king, Matināra's four sons were of boundless valor: the great Taṃsu, a warrior surpassing even chariot-fighters, and Druhyu of unrivaled brilliance.

1.89.12 Of them, Taṃsu of great valor, bearing the Paurava lineage onward, won blazing glory and conquered the earth.

1.89.13 The valiant Taṃsu fathered a son named Ilina, and he too conquered this entire earth — foremost among conquerors.

1.89.14 O king, Ilina then fathered five sons on Rathaṃtarī — sons comparable to the five elements — headed by Duḥṣanta.

1.89.15 They were Duḥṣanta, Śūra, Bhīma, Prapūrva, and Vasu; of them the eldest became king — Duḥṣanta, O Janamejaya.

1.89.16 From Duḥṣanta was born Bharata, the wise king son of Śakuntalā; from him the great glory of the Bharata lineage spread wide.

1.89.17 Bharata fathered nine sons on three wives, but the king did not rejoice in them, saying, "They do not resemble me."

1.89.18 Then Bharata, who had performed great sacrifices, obtained through Bharadvāja a son named Bhumanyu, O Bhārata.

1.89.19 Then, knowing himself to be blessed with a son, the delight of the Pauravas consecrated Bhumanyu as crown prince, O best of the Bhāratas.

1.89.20 Then for that great lord of the earth a son named Vitatha was born; thus Vitatha was the son of Bhumanyu.

1.89.21 Suhotra, Suhotā, Suhavi, and Suyaju — sons of Ṛcīka's daughter Puṣkariṇī — were born to Bhumanyu.

1.89.22 Of them the eldest, Suhotra, obtained sovereignty over kings of the earth; he performed many sacrifices including the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha.

1.89.23 Suhotra enjoyed all the earth girdled by the ocean, full of elephants, cattle, and horses, and teeming with many treasures.

1.89.24 The earth seemed to sink under his enormous weight, overflowing with elephants, horses, and chariots, and exceedingly crowded with people.

1.89.25 While king Suhotra ruled his subjects according to dharma, the earth was marked with hundreds of thousands of sacrificial stakes and altars; teeming with flourishing people and grain, it shone together with the gods.

1.89.26 O Bhārata, Aikṣvākī bore to Suhotra, lord of the earth, three sons: Ajamīḍha, Sumīḍha, and Purumīḍha.

1.89.27 Ajamīḍha was the best of them; in him the lineage was established. He in turn fathered six sons on three wives, O Bhārata.

1.89.28 Dhūminī bore Ṛkṣa; Nīlī bore Duḥṣanta and Parameṣṭhin; Keśinī bore Jahnu and both called Janarūpiṇau.

1.89.29 Thus all the Pāñcālas are descendants of Duḥṣanta and Parameṣṭhin, O king, and the Kuśikas are descendants of Jahnu of boundless splendor.

1.89.30 Of the two Janarūpiṇas, the elder Ṛkṣa is called the lord of the people; from Ṛkṣa was born Saṃvaraṇa, O king, the one who continued your lineage.

1.89.31 When Saṃvaraṇa son of Ṛkṣa, O king, was ruling the earth, there came about a very great destruction of the people — so we have heard.

1.89.32 The kingdom then broke apart through various calamities — struck by famine, death, drought, and disease — and the armies of their enemies assailed the Bhāratas as well.

1.89.33 Shaking the very earth with his fourfold army, the Pāñcāla king came against him; having swiftly conquered the land, he defeated Saṃvaraṇa in battle with ten akṣauhiṇī armies.

1.89.34 Then king Saṃvaraṇa, together with his wives, ministers, sons, and friends, fled from there in great fear.

1.89.35 He then dwelt in a thicket on the bank of the great river Sindhu, at the edge of the river region near the mountains; the Bhāratas lived there for a long time, having taken refuge in that difficult terrain.

1.89.36 After they had lived there for a thousand years, the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha came to the Bhāratas.

1.89.37 Going forth to meet him with great care and paying him homage, all the Bhāratas then brought him the guest-offering of arghya, and with due reverence reported everything to the resplendent sage.

1.89.38 Having stayed with them for eight years, the king himself then requested him: "Be our purohita — we strive for the kingdom." "So be it" — with this, Vasiṣṭha agreed and accepted the Bhāratas.

1.89.39 Then he consecrated the Paurava king to imperial sovereignty over all the kṣatriyas, as the foremost of all on earth — so we have heard.

1.89.40 He occupied that best of cities previously held by the Bhāratas, and made all kings of the earth his tribute-bearers once more.

1.89.41 Then, having regained the earth, that mighty descendant of Ajamīḍha performed many great sacrifices with lavish fees.

1.89.42 Then Tapatī, daughter of the Sun, bore to Saṃvaraṇa a son named Kuru; all the subjects chose him as their king, calling him "the knower of dharma."

1.89.43 By his name the Kurujāṅgala region on earth became celebrated; the great ascetic made Kurukṣetra sacred through his austerities.

1.89.44 We have heard that his sons were Aśvavanta, Abhiṣvanta, Citraratha the sage, and the renowned Janamejaya; a noble woman bore these five sons born of the army.

1.89.45 From Abhiṣvata came Parīkṣit; also born were the valiant Śabalāśva, Abhirāja, Virāja, and the mighty Śalmala.

1.89.46 Uccaiḥśravā, Bhadrakāra, and Jitāri the eighth — in the lineage of these men, their descendants became famous for virtues born of their deeds.

1.89.47 Janamejaya and six others, and likewise other mighty sons of Parīkṣit — seven in all — were all skilled in dharma and artha.

1.89.48 They were named Kakṣasena, Ugrasena, the valiant Citrasena, Indrasena, Suṣeṇa, and Bhīmasena.

1.89.49 The mighty sons of Janamejaya, renowned on earth, were — Dhṛtarāṣṭra the firstborn, Pāṇḍu, and Bāhlika.

1.89.50 Also Niṣadha of great splendor, the strong Jāmbūnada, Kuṇḍodara, Padāti, and Vasāti the eighth — all were skilled in dharma and artha, all devoted to the welfare of living beings.

1.89.51 Dhṛtarāṣṭra then became king; his sons were Kuṇḍika, Hastī, Vitarka, Krātha, Kuṇḍala the fifth, Haviḥśravā, Indrābha, Sumanyu, and Aparājita.

1.89.52 O bull of the Bhāratas, three sons were born to Pratīpa: Devāpi, Śaṃtanu, and Bāhlika the great chariot-warrior.

1.89.53 Of them, Devāpi retired to the forest in pursuit of dharma; Śaṃtanu obtained the earth, and Bāhlika became a great chariot-warrior.

1.89.54 Many best of kings were born in Bharata's lineage, O king — great chariot-warriors of powerful nature, comparable to divine sages.

1.89.55 And likewise other great chariot-warriors comparable to gods were born in the lineage of Manu — those who augmented the Aila line.

1.90.1 Janamejaya said: O brahmin, I have heard from you the great origin of my ancestors, and I have now learned of the noble kings in this lineage.

1.90.2 But the pleasant narrative, being too brief in content, does not fully satisfy me — so please tell me again in greater detail.

1.90.3 This very divine story — the holy birth of those kings from Prajāpati down to Manu — whose heart would it not gladden?

1.90.4 Their fame, swelled by the greatness of good dharma and virtue, stands exalted, pervading all three worlds.

1.90.5 I am not sated hearing the tale of those endowed with virtue, splendor, valor, energy, strength, and zeal — a tale that tastes like nectar.

1.90.6 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Listen, O king — hear fully what was properly heard by me from Dvaipāyana long ago, this auspicious account of the entire origin of your own lineage being now recounted.

1.90.7 From Dakṣa came Aditi; from Aditi came Vivasvat; from Vivasvat came Manu; from Manu came Ilā; from Ilā came Purūravas; from Purūravas came Āyu; from Āyu came Nahuṣa.

1.90.8 Yayāti had two wives: Devayānī, daughter of Uśanas, and Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvā. Here the genealogical succession continues.

1.90.9 Devayānī bore Yadu and Turvasu; Śarmiṣṭhā, daughter of Vṛṣaparvā, bore Druhyu, Anu, and Pūru.

1.90.10 Of these, the Yādavas descend from Yadu, and the Pauravas from Pūru.

1.90.11 Pūru's wife was named Kausalyā; to her was born his son Janamejaya, who performed three Aśvamedha sacrifices and then, after performing the Viśvajit sacrifice, entered the forest.

1.90.12 Janamejaya married Anantā, a Mādhavī princess; to her was born his son Prācinvān, who conquered the eastern direction as far as the sunrise — hence his name Prācinvān.

1.90.13 Prācinvān married a princess of the Aśmaka people; to her was born his son Saṃyāti.

1.90.14 Saṃyāti married a daughter of Dṛṣadvata named Varāṅgī; to her was born his son Ahaṃpāti.

1.90.15 Ahaṃpāti married a daughter of Kṛtavīrya named Bhānumatī; to her was born his son Sārvabhauma.

1.90.16 Sārvabhauma carried off by conquest a Kaikeyī princess named Sunandā; to her was born his son Jayatsena.

1.90.17 Jayatsena married a Vidarbhā princess named Suṣuvā; to her was born his son Arācīna.

1.90.18 Arācīna also married another Vidarbhā princess named Maryādā; to her was born his son Mahābhauma.

1.90.19 Mahābhauma married a princess of Prasenajiṭ named Suyajñā; to her was born his son Ayutanāyī, who performed ten thousand Puruṣamedha sacrifices — hence his name Ayutanāyī.

1.90.20 Ayutanāyī married a daughter of Pṛthuśravas named Bhāsā; to her was born his son Akrodhana.

1.90.21 Akrodhana married a Kaliṅga princess named Karaṇḍu; to her was born his son Devātithi.

1.90.22 Devātithi married a Videha princess named Maryādā; to her was born his son Ṛca.

1.90.23 Ṛca married an Aṅga princess named Sudevā; to her he fathered a son named Ṛkṣa.

1.90.24 Ṛkṣa married a daughter of Takṣaka named Jvālā; to her he gave birth to a son named Matināra.

1.90.25 Matināra performed a twelve-year sacrificial session on the banks of the Sarasvatī.

1.90.26 When the sacrifice concluded, Sarasvatī herself approached and chose him as her husband; she bore him a son named Taṃsu.

1.90.27 Here a genealogical verse occurs.

1.90.28 Sarasvatī bore Taṃsu as a son to Matināra; Taṃsu in turn begot his own son Ilina upon Kālindī.

1.90.29 Ilina begot five sons on Rathaṃtarī, the eldest of whom was Duḥṣanta.

1.90.30 Duḥṣanta married Śakuntalā, the daughter of Viśvāmitra; she bore him Bharata. On this subject two verses are cited.

1.90.31 "The mother is but the vessel; the son belongs to his father — he who was begotten is himself the father's own. Acknowledge your son, Duḥṣanta; do not despise Śakuntalā."

1.90.32 "The seed-bearer raises his son up from the realm of Yama, O king; you are the maker of this child within the womb — Śakuntalā speaks the truth."

1.90.33 From that, his name Bharata is explained.

1.90.34 Bharata married Sunandā, called Sārvasenī, a princess of the Kāśī line; she bore him Bhumanyु.

1.90.35 Bhumanyु married Jayā, a princess of the Dāśārha line; she bore him Suhotra.

1.90.36 Suhotra married Suvarṇā, a princess of the Ikṣvāku line; she bore him Hastī, who founded this city of Hāstinapura — hence its name.

1.90.37 Hastī married Yaśodharā, a princess of the Trigarta line; she bore him Vikuṇṭhana.

1.90.38 Vikuṇṭhana married Sudevā, a princess of the Dāśārha line; she bore him Ajamīḍha.

1.90.39 Ajamīḍha had twenty-four hundred sons by Kaikeyī, Nāgā, Gāndhārī, Vimalā, and Ṛkṣā, each founding separate royal lines — and the chief line-founder among them was Saṃvaraṇa.

1.90.40 Saṃvaraṇa married Tapatī, the daughter of Vivasvat; she bore him Kuru.

1.90.41 Kuru married Śubhāṅgī, a princess of the Dāśārha line; she bore him Viḍūratha.

1.90.42 Viḍūratha married Saṃpriyā, a princess of Magadha; she bore him a son named Arugvān.

1.90.43 Arugvān married Amṛtā, a princess of Magadha; she bore him Parīkṣit.

1.90.44 Parīkṣit married Suyaśā, a princess of the Bāhuda line; she bore him Bhīmasena.

1.90.45 Bhīmasena married Sukumārī, a princess of Kekaya; she bore him Paryaśravā, who is known by the name Pratīpa.

1.90.46 Pratīpa married Sunandā, a princess of the Śibi clan; he fathered three sons upon her: Devāpi, Śaṃtanu, and Bāhlika.

1.90.47 Devāpi entered the forest while still a boy; Śaṃtanu became the king of the earth. A genealogical verse follows here.

1.90.48 "Whomsoever he touches with his two hands, the aged one gains ease and becomes young again — therefore they call him Śaṃtanu."

1.90.49 That is the explanation of his name Śaṃtanu.

1.90.50 Śaṃtanu married the Bhāgīrathī — Gaṅgā herself; she bore him Devavrata, who is known as Bhīṣma.

1.90.51 Bhīṣma, desiring to please his father, gave away in marriage Satyavatī — the woman known as Gandhakālī — as his father's bride.

1.90.52 She had already conceived before marriage a son by Parāśara — Dvaipāyana; and upon her Śaṃtanu also fathered two sons, Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya.

1.90.53 Of the two, Citrāṅgada was slain by a Gandharva before reaching manhood; Vicitravīrya then became king.

1.90.54 Vicitravīrya married the two daughters of the king of Kāśī — Ambikā and Ambālikā, born of Kausalyā.

1.90.55 But Vicitravīrya passed away without leaving any offspring.

1.90.56 Then Satyavatī reflected: "The line of Duḥṣanta's descendant is about to be extinguished."

1.90.57 She thought of the sage Dvaipāyana.

1.90.58 He stood before her at once and said: "What shall I do?"

1.90.59 She said to him: "Your brother Vicitravīrya has gone to heaven leaving no offspring — please beget children upon his wives."

1.90.60 Agreeing with the word "so be it," he fathered three sons: Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura.

1.90.61 There, to king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, a hundred sons were born of Gāndhārī by the boon of Dvaipāyana.

1.90.62 Among Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, four were pre-eminent: Duryodhana, Duḥśāsana, Vikarṇa, and Citrasena.

1.90.63 Pāṇḍu had two wives — Kuntī and Mādrī — both jewels among women.

1.90.64 Now while Pāṇḍu was roaming on the hunt, he saw a sage engaged in intercourse with a doe; even as the sage was thus immersed, still unsatiated and not yet having tasted his desire's sweetness, Pāṇḍu struck him with an arrow.

1.90.65 Struck by the arrow, he spoke to Pāṇḍu: "You who call yourself a follower of dharma — because you, knowing better, have struck me down before I tasted the joy of love, you too shall meet this very fate: you shall pass away quickly, deprived of love's pleasure, in this very same condition."

1.90.66 Pāṇḍu, his color drained from his face, seeking to avoid the curse, did not approach his wives.

1.90.67 And he said: "Through my own rashness I have brought this upon myself; and I have heard that a man without offspring has no worlds hereafter."

1.90.68 He said to Kuntī: "Therefore you shall beget sons for my sake."

1.90.69 She then bore sons: Yudhiṣṭhira by Dharma, Bhīmasena by the Wind, and Arjuna by Indra.

1.90.70 Pāṇḍu said to Kuntī with a joyful countenance: "Your co-wife has no offspring — please arrange for a child to be born of her as well."

1.90.71 Kuntī agreed, saying "So be it."

1.90.72 Thereupon Nakula and Sahadeva were begotten upon Mādrī by the twin Aśvins.

1.90.73 Seeing Mādrī adorned and beautiful, Pāṇḍu was stirred with passion.

1.90.74 The very moment he touched her, he passed away.

1.90.75 There Mādrī ascended the funeral pyre where he lay.

1.90.76 She said to Kuntī: "The noble lady must raise the twins with unwavering care."

1.90.77 Then the five Pāṇḍavas, together with Kuntī, were brought to Hāstinapura by the forest ascetics and presented to Bhīṣma and Vidura.

1.90.78 There too an attempt was made to burn them in the lac-house, but it could not succeed owing to Vidura's counsel.

1.90.79 And having slain Hiḍimba along the way, they went to Ekacakrā.

1.90.80 There in Ekacakrā too, having slain the demon named Baka, they proceeded to the city of Pāñcāla.

1.90.81 From there they obtained Draupadī as their wife and returned safely to their own realm.

1.90.82 They also begot sons: Yudhiṣṭhira fathered Prativindhya, Vṛkodara fathered Sutasoma, Arjuna fathered Śrutakīrti, Nakula fathered Śatānīka, and Sahadeva fathered Śrutakarmā.

1.90.83 Yudhiṣṭhira also won at a svayaṃvara a maiden named Devikā, daughter of Govāsana of the Śibi clan, and fathered upon her a son named Yaudheya.

1.90.84 Bhīmasena also married Baladhārā, a princess of Kāśī, won by valor, and fathered upon her a son named Sarvaga.

1.90.85 Arjuna went to Dvāravatī and married Subhadrā, the sister of Vāsudeva; he fathered upon her a son named Abhimanyu.

1.90.86 Nakula married Kareṇuvatī, a princess of the Cedi, and fathered upon her a son named Niramitra.

1.90.87 Sahadeva also won at a svayaṃvara Vijayā, herself a Mādrī princess, and fathered upon her a son named Suhotra.

1.90.88 Bhīmasena had earlier also fathered upon the demoness Hiḍimbā a son named Ghaṭotkaca.

1.90.89 These then are the eleven sons of the Pāṇḍavas.

1.90.90 Abhimanyu married Uttarā, the daughter of Virāṭa; the child conceived in her womb was stillborn.

1.90.91 Pṛthā received that six-month foetus in her lap, at the command of the supreme Vāsudeva, saying: "I shall restore this one to life."

1.90.92 Having revived him, she declared: "Born when the family was brought to ruin, let this one be named Parīkṣit."

1.90.93 Parīkṣit married a princess named Mādravatī; she bore him Janamejaya.

1.90.94 From Janamejaya and Vapuṣṭamā were born two sons: Śatānīka and Śaṅku.

1.90.95 Śatānīka married a princess of Videha; she bore him a son named Aśvamedhadatta.

1.90.96 Thus the lineage of Pūru and of the Pāṇḍavas has been recounted; one who hears this line of Pūru is freed from all sins.

1.91.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: There was a king who sprang from the Ikṣvāku line, lord of the earth, renowned as Mahābhiṣa — truthful in speech and true in valor.

1.91.2 With a thousand aśvamedha sacrifices and a hundred vājapeya rites he pleased the lord of gods, Indra, and thereby that powerful king attained heaven.

1.91.3 On one occasion the gods assembled to attend upon Brahmā; among them were the royal sages, and king Mahābhiṣa was also present.

1.91.4 Then Gaṅgā, the foremost of rivers, came to approach the Grandfather; the wind blew aside her garment, white as moonlight.

1.91.5 Thereupon all the hosts of gods suddenly cast their eyes downward — but the royal sage Mahābhiṣa gazed upon the river without hesitation or shame.

1.91.6 Mahābhiṣa was censured by the venerable Brahmā, and was told: "You shall be born again among mortals, and then win back these worlds."

1.91.7 That king, having reflected among all the ascetic kings, chose Pratīpa — a man of great splendor — as the father he wished to be born from.

1.91.8 The best of rivers, seeing that king Mahābhiṣa fall from his composure, turned her mind and heart upon him alone.

1.91.9 While going along the path she beheld the Vasus, those celestial gods, their forms wasted away and their vigour crushed by affliction.

1.91.10 Seeing them in such a state, the foremost of rivers asked: "Why have your forms thus perished? Are the dwellers of heaven well?"

1.91.11 The Vasus, the gods, replied to her: "O great river, we have been cursed by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha in a fit of rage for a trivial offence."

1.91.12 "For we all, heedless, once walked right past the foremost of sages, Vasiṣṭha, who was seated in twilight meditation in an unobtrusive spot."

1.91.13 "In his anger he cursed us to be born in a womb. What the knower of Brahman has spoken cannot be otherwise undone."

1.91.14 "Therefore you, becoming a mortal woman, bear us as sons upon the earth; for we cannot enter the inauspicious womb of ordinary mortal women."

1.91.15 Thus addressed, Gaṅgā said "so be it" to those Vasus and then asked: "Who among mortals will be the best of men to act as your father?"

1.91.16 The Vasus replied: "The righteous king named Śaṃtanu, son of Pratīpa, will exist in the mortal world; he shall be our father."

1.91.17 Gaṅgā said: "O gods of unblemished honour, my mind also agrees with what you have said. I will do what is pleasing to him, and this is your wish as well."

1.91.18 The Vasus said: "You should cast our newborn sons into the water, so that our release from the curse may come swiftly, O you who flow through the three worlds."

1.91.19 Gaṅgā said: "I will do this. Let there be provided for him a son; his union with me should not be fruitless, for he desires a son."

1.91.20 The Vasus said: "Each of us will contribute an eighth part of our own valour; with that valour your son — and his desired heir — will be born."

1.91.21 "That son of yours will never beget offspring among mortals; thus he will be without children of his own, though he will be mighty in valour."

1.91.22 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having thus made this compact with Gaṅgā, the Vasus departed with joyful hearts, their purpose fulfilled exactly as they had intended.

1.92.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then that king Pratīpa, devoted to the welfare of all beings, sat for many years on the bank of the Gaṅgā, engaged in prayer.

1.92.2 To him came Gaṅgā, endowed with beauty and virtues, like the goddess Śrī made manifest, rising from the water in a form most enchanting to behold.

1.92.3 She of divine form and noble spirit, her face radiant as the moon, seated herself on the right thigh of the royal sage as he sat in study, that thigh like the trunk of a śāla tree.

1.92.4 The sovereign Pratīpa then spoke to that noble-minded woman: "What may I do for you, fair one? What is it that you desire?"

1.92.5 The woman said: "O king, foremost of the Kurus, I desire you — accept me. For the rejection of women who offer themselves in love is condemned by the good."

1.92.6 Pratīpa replied: "O lady of excellent complexion, I would not out of desire go to another man's wife, nor to a woman of different caste, O fair one — know this as my sacred vow."

1.92.7 The woman said: "I am not unworthy, nor am I one to be avoided or rebuked at any time. Accept me, O king — a maiden, the finest of women, who offers herself to you."

1.92.8 Pratīpa replied: "What you urge upon me would overstep the bounds for me. Were I to act otherwise than I have vowed, the violation of dharma would be my ruin."

1.92.9 "You have come and seated yourself on my right thigh, O beautiful-limbed one. Know, O timid one, that this is the seat reserved for children and daughters-in-law."

1.92.10 "The left side is the place of a beloved wife, but you have not taken that seat. Therefore I shall not engage with you in desire, O beautiful-limbed one."

1.92.11 "Become my daughter-in-law, fair one — I choose you for the sake of my son; for you came and took your place on the side belonging to a daughter-in-law, O slender-thighed."

1.92.12 The woman said: "So be it then, O knower of dharma — I will be united with your son. Out of devotion to you I will honour the renowned lineage of the Bhāratas."

1.92.13 "Among all the rulers of the earth, you are the supreme refuge. Even in a hundred years I could not fully describe the virtues of this line — that peerless excellence which has proceeded from you all."

1.92.14 "Your son must not question my lineage, O lord, nor must he ever question whatever I may do — your son should never inquire into any of this."

1.92.15 "Dwelling thus with your son, I will bring him joy; and through virtuous, beloved sons your son will attain heaven."

1.92.16 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having said "so be it," she vanished on the spot. The king, expecting the birth of a son, kept her words in his heart.

1.92.17 At this very time, O joy of the Kurus, the bull among kṣatriyas, Pratīpa, practised austerities together with his wife for the sake of a son.

1.92.18 To that aged pair was born a son — he was Mahābhiṣa; from Śānta was born Saṃtāna, and from him came Śaṃtanu.

1.92.19 Constantly remembering the imperishable worlds won by his own deeds in a former life, Śaṃtanu was ever a doer of righteous deeds, O best of Kurus.

1.92.20 Then Pratīpa instructed his son Śaṃtanu when he came of age: "Formerly a woman came to me, O Śaṃtanu, for your welfare."

1.92.21 "If that woman of lovely complexion — a divine woman full of beauty and desire, seeking a son — comes to you in private, O son, you must not ask her who she is or to whom she belongs."

1.92.22 "Whatever she may do that you think should not be done, you must not question her. By my command, honour her who offers herself to you" — so he instructed him.

1.92.23 Having thus instructed his son Śaṃtanu, and having consecrated him in his own kingdom, the king Pratīpa then entered the forest.

1.92.24 That wise king Śaṃtanu, renowned throughout the earth as a wielder of the bow, became fond of hunting and constantly ranged through the forests.

1.92.25 Slaying deer and buffaloes, that best of kings roamed alone along the Gaṅgā, that river frequented by siddhas and cāraṇas.

1.92.26 One day, O great king, he beheld a supremely beautiful woman, blazing in her form like the goddess Śrī herself standing before him.

1.92.27 She was flawless in every limb, with fine teeth, adorned with divine ornaments, wearing fine garments, standing alone, her radiance equal to the interior of a lotus.

1.92.28 Beholding her, the lord of men was filled with delight, his hair standing on end; marvelling at the perfection of her beauty, drinking her in with his eyes, he could not be satisfied.

1.92.29 And she too, having seen the king of great splendour as he wandered there, felt affection and tenderness stir within her, and the graceful one could not be satisfied.

1.92.30 Then the king spoke to her, addressing her with gentle, soothing words: "Are you a goddess, or a dānavī, a gandharvī, or an apsarā?"

1.92.31 "Or a yakṣī, or a nāgakanyā, or a mortal woman, O slender-waisted? Whoever you may be, O radiant as the womb of the gods, become my wife, O beautiful one."

1.92.32 Hearing the king's words, soft, gentle, and sweet, that blameless one, remembering the compact of the Vasus, approached him with a smile.

1.92.33 And she spoke words that gladdened the king's heart: "I will become your queen, O ruler of the earth, obedient to your will."

1.92.34 "But whatever I may do, O king, whether it seems good or ill, I must not be restrained, nor must anything disagreeable be said to me regarding it."

1.92.35 "As long as things proceed thus between us, I will dwell with you, O king; but if I am restrained or spoken to disagreeably, I will assuredly leave you."

1.92.36 When the king said "so be it," O best of the Bhāratas, she experienced matchless joy upon obtaining that best of kings.

1.92.37 Having obtained her, the self-controlled Śaṃtanu enjoyed her as he desired, thinking "she is not to be questioned" — he said nothing at all to her.

1.92.38 The lord of the earth was fully pleased by her conduct and character, by her beauty, generosity, and virtues, and by her devoted attentiveness in private.

1.92.39 For she, the goddess Gaṅgā, the river flowing through the three paths, that woman of excellent complexion, had assumed a beautiful human form.

1.92.40 She had come and presented herself as a wife to Śaṃtanu, that lion among kings, equal in splendour to the king of the gods, whose desire had thus been brought to him by fortune.

1.92.41 She delighted the king with loving pleasures and clever arts, with charming coquetry and grace; and as she rejoiced, so did he.

1.92.42 The king, absorbed in love and captivated by the qualities of that most excellent of women, did not notice the many years, seasons, and months that passed.

1.92.43 Sporting with her as he wished, the lord of men fathered upon her eight sons, each of them radiant as the immortals.

1.92.44 Each son as he was born she would cast into the water, O Bhārata, saying "I am gratifying you" as she plunged him into the current of the Gaṅgā.

1.92.45 This was not pleasing to king Śaṃtanu, yet the lord of the earth said nothing to her, fearing that she would leave him.

1.92.46 But when the eighth son was born, as she made as if to laugh, the king, tormented with grief, spoke to her, longing to keep a son for himself.

1.92.47 "Do not kill him! Who are you? Whose are you? Why do you harm your sons? O murderer of children, do not incur so great a sin — stop, O infamous one!"

1.92.48 The woman said: "O you who desire a son, best of those who have sons, I am not killing your son. But this agreement I made has now run its course, just as a garment wears out."

1.92.49 "I am Gaṅgā, daughter of Jahnu, attended upon by hosts of great sages. I have dwelt with you for the accomplishment of a divine purpose."

1.92.50 "These eight are the great and mighty Vasus, the gods; through the fault of Vasiṣṭha's curse they took on human birth."

1.92.51 "There is no father for them on earth other than you, nor is there any mortal woman like me who could serve as their mother."

1.92.52 "Therefore I took on human form for the purpose of bearing them. By fathering eight Vasus, imperishable worlds have been won by you."

1.92.53 "This was the compact of the gods, the Vasus, which was made known to me: 'You shall release each one as he is born from his human birth.'"

1.92.54 "Those Vasus have been released from the curse of the great-souled Āpava. Farewell to you — I will depart. Guard this son; he is a keeper of great vows."

1.92.55 "This stay with you was arranged in the presence of the Vasus as part of their plan. Know this son, born of me, as Gaṅgādatta — given by Gaṅgā."

1.93.1 Śaṃtanu said: "Who indeed is this one called Āpava? And what was the misdeeds of the Vasus, by whose curse they all came to take on a human body?"

1.93.2 "And what has been done by this boy, Gaṅgādatta, on account of whose deed he will remain dwelling among mortals?"

1.93.3 "Those Vasus who are lords of all the worlds — how did they come to be born among mortals? Tell me this, O daughter of Jahnu."

1.93.4 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, Gaṅgā, the goddess, daughter of Jahnu, then spoke these words to the king, her husband, Śaṃtanu, that bull among men.

1.93.5 "The sage named Vasiṣṭha, who was obtained as a son by Varuṇa long ago, O best of the Bhāratas — that sage is also known by the name Āpava."

1.93.6 "His holy hermitage, filled with herds of deer and flocks of birds, lies on the flank of Meru, king of mountains, covered with flowers of every season."

1.93.7 "There that son of Varuṇa, best among doers of virtuous deeds, performed austerities in that forest, O best of the Bhāratas, which abounded in sweet roots, fruits, and water."

1.93.8 "The daughter of Dakṣa, known as Surabhī, exceedingly glorious — that goddess gave birth to a cow from Kaśyapa, O bull of the Bhāratas."

1.93.9 "For the benefit of the world that righteous-souled son of Varuṇa received that excellent wish-fulfilling cow, fit to be a sacrificial cow."

1.93.10 "That cow, dwelling in that forest of ascetics frequented by sages, wandered freely through the pleasant and sacred woodland, fearless."

1.93.11 "Then one day, O bull of the Bhāratas, all the Vasus, with Pṛthu at their head, came to that forest, which was frequented by gods and divine sages."

1.93.12 Those Vasus, together with their wives, roamed that forest in all directions and took delight in its charming mountains and woodland groves.

1.93.13 There, O hero rivalling Indra, the wife of one of those Vasus—a slender-waisted lady wandering in that forest—caught sight of the cow that was the wish-fulfilling gem of the sage Vasiṣṭha, supreme among all desire-yielding kine.

1.93.14 Filled with wonder at the cow's wealth of virtue and beauty, she pointed her out to her husband Dyaus, O bull-eyed one.

1.93.15 The cow was deep-uddered, gave milk freely, had a fine tail and a beautiful face, was endowed with every good quality, and possessed a character utterly without equal.

1.93.16 The daughter of a Vasu, O lord of kings, O delight of the Pauravas, pointed out that cow, thus endowed with all these qualities, to her husband the Vasu Dyaus long ago.

1.93.17 Dyaus, upon seeing that cow, O king, mighty as the lord of elephants, spoke to his goddess-wife, describing the cow's beauty and virtues.

1.93.18 "This, O goddess, O dark-eyed one, O fair-hipped lady, is the supreme cow of Vāruṇī's son—that very sage whose this excellent forest is."

1.93.19 "Whoever among mortals drinks the sweet milk of this cow, O slender-waisted one, shall live for ten thousand years with unfading youth."

1.93.20 Hearing this, O best of kings, that slender-waisted, flawlessly-limbed goddess spoke to her blazingly radiant husband:

1.93.21 "In the world of mortals I have a friend, a princess—her name is Jinavati, adorned with beauty and the bloom of youth."

1.93.22 "She is the daughter of the royal sage Ushinarathe truthful and wise—and she is renowned throughout the mortal world for the wealth of her beauty."

1.93.23 "For her sake, O greatly fortunate one, O best of the immortals, O increaser of merit, quickly bring me this cow along with her calf—she is what I desire."

1.93.24 "So that my friend, drinking this cow's milk, may be the one among mortals who is free from old age and disease, O giver of honour."

1.93.25 "You, O greatly fortunate one, O blameless one, must do this favour for me, for there is nothing dearer to me than this—nothing at all."

1.93.26 Hearing these words of his goddess-wife and wishing to please her, Dyaus then stole that cow together with his brothers led by Prithva.

1.93.27 Impelled by that lotus-eyed goddess, Dyaus, O king, was unable to face the fierce austerities of that sage; he stole the cow then and there, and the fall that would follow was not foreseen.

1.93.28 Then Vasiṣṭha, son of Varuṇa, returned to his hermitage bearing fruits, but he did not see the cow with her calf anywhere in that excellent forest.

1.93.29 That sage, rich in austerities and of noble intellect, searched for her throughout that forest, yet searching he could not find the cow.

1.93.30 Knowing by his divine sight that she had been carried off by the Vasus, he immediately fell under the sway of anger and then cursed those Vasus.

1.93.31 "Since the Vasus have stolen my milch-cow with her fine tail, therefore all of them shall without doubt be born among mortals."

1.93.32 Thus did the venerable Āpava, best of sages, having come under the power of wrath, curse those Vasus, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.93.33 Having cursed them, that greatly fortunate one turned his mind once again to his austerities. Thus, O king, did that sage of mighty power—that brahmarishi, rich in penance—curse all eight Vasus while filled with wrath against those gods.

1.93.34 Then, coming again to that hermitage of the great-souled sage, the Vasus—knowing they had been cursed—approached that rishi.

1.93.35 Though the Vasus sought to propitiate that sage, O bull of kings, they could not obtain grace from that best of rishis—from Āpava, O tiger among men, who was versed in all the ways of dharma.

1.93.36 And that righteous-souled sage said: "Seven of you—Dhara and the rest—will obtain release from the curse within a year."

1.93.37 "But this one—Dyaus—on whose account you were cursed by me, shall dwell for a long time in the world of mortals, reaping the fruit of his own deed."

1.93.38 "I do not wish to make false what I spoke to you in anger. Yet this high-minded one shall also beget no offspring among mortals."

1.93.39 "He shall be righteous-souled, versed in all the scriptures, devoted to what is dear and beneficial to his father, and he shall abstain from the enjoyment of women." Having spoken thus to all the Vasus, the venerable sage departed.

1.93.40 Thereupon all those Vasus came to me, O king, and begged a boon of me, and that boon I granted them: "As each of us is born, O Gaṅgā, cast us yourself into the water."

1.93.41 Thus, O best of kings, I duly did what was proper for the sake of releasing those who had been cursed—freeing them from the world of mortals.

1.93.42 This one alone, O best of kings, O Bhārata—Dyaus—shall dwell long in the world of mortals because of that sage's curse.

1.93.43 Having narrated all this, the goddess vanished from that very spot; and taking that prince with her, she departed as she wished.

1.93.44 That son of Śaṃtanu bore two names—Devavrata and Gangeyaand he surpassed even Śaṃtanu in virtues.

1.93.45 And Śaṃtanu, stricken with grief, then returned to his own city. I shall now recount the boundless virtues of Śaṃtanu.

1.93.46 And the great good fortune of that glorious Bhārata king—the resplendent history of whom is called the Mahābhārata.

1.94.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: That wise Śaṃtanu—honoured by gods, kings, and sages—was celebrated in all worlds as righteous-souled and true of speech.

1.94.2 Self-restraint, generosity, forbearance, wisdom, modesty, steadfastness, and surpassing splendour—these were ever-present in the great-souled Śaṃtanu, bull among men.

1.94.3 So endowed with virtues, skilled in dharma and statecraft, that king was the protector of the Bharata lineage and of righteous people.

1.94.4 He had a conch-like neck, broad shoulders, and the gait of a lordly rutting elephant; he held firmly to the conviction that dharma stands supreme above desire and material gain.

1.94.5 All these qualities dwelt in the great-souled Śaṃtanu, O bull of the Bhāratas, and no other kshatriya was his equal in righteousness.

1.94.6 Because he abided in his own dharma and was the foremost of all who know dharma, the kings of the earth consecrated him as sovereign over kings.

1.94.7 Free from grief, fear, and affliction, waking from pleasant slumber, the kings of the earth rallied to him as protector of the Bhāratas.

1.94.8 When the world was protected by kings with Śaṃtanu at their head, then by rule the order of all the varnas prevailed with brahminical excellence at the fore.

1.94.9 The brahmin order attended upon the kshatriyas; the vaishyas followed the kshatriyas dutifully; and the shudras, devoted to both brahmin and kshatriya, attended upon the vaishyas.

1.94.10 Dwelling in lovely Hāstinapura, the stronghold of the Kurus, he ruled the earth all the way to the ocean's edge.

1.94.11 Comparable to the king of gods, he was a knower of dharma, true of speech, upright of conduct, and endowed with supreme royal glory through the practice of giving, righteousness, and austerity.

1.94.12 Free from passion and hatred, he was pleasant to behold as the moon; in splendour he resembled the sun; in swiftness he equalled the wind; in wrath he was like Death himself; and in forbearance he was equal to the earth.

1.94.13 When Śaṃtanu was the guardian of the earth, O king, there was no wanton slaughter of cattle, boars, deer, or birds.

1.94.14 In a realm where dharma and brahminical order stood supreme, the humble-souled Śaṃtanu ruled all beings equally, free from desire and passion.

1.94.15 Rituals were then performed for the sake of gods, sages, and ancestors, and no living creature was slain contrary to dharma.

1.94.16 For the unhappy, the unprotected, and those dwelling in animal births—that king became the father of all beings.

1.94.17 While that best of Kuru lords, that sovereign of kings, reigned, speech was wedded to truth and the mind rested upon the dharma of giving.

1.94.18 For sixteen years, then eight, then four, then eight more—finding no pleasure in women—he roamed the forests.

1.94.19 Of such a form, such conduct, such behaviour, and such learning was his son by Gaṅgā—named Devavrata, also called Vasu.

1.94.20 Deeply versed in all weapons, both divine and earthly, he was a man of great strength, great fortitude, great valour, and a mighty chariot-warrior.

1.94.21 Once, having shot a deer and following the river, king Śaṃtanu saw the Bhāgīrathī—the Gaṅgā—low in her waters.

1.94.22 Seeing this, Śaṃtanu, bull among men, wondered: "Why does this best of rivers not flow today as she did of old?"

1.94.23 Then, searching for the cause, that high-minded one beheld a youth—handsome of form, tall, and beautiful to behold.

1.94.24 He was wielding divine weapons like the god Indra himself, standing there having covered the whole Gaṅgā with sharp arrows.

1.94.25 Seeing the river Gaṅgā thus covered with arrows nearby, the king was filled with astonishment, beholding an act surpassing human capacity.

1.94.26 Though Śaṃtanu had seen that son immediately at birth long ago, the wise king could not now recall enough to recognise him as his own child.

1.94.27 But that youth, seeing his father, cast a spell of bewilderment upon him with his magic, and having bewildered him, vanished from that very spot.

1.94.28 Having witnessed that wonder, king Śaṃtanu, suspecting this to be his son, called out to Gaṅgā: "Show him to me!"

1.94.29 Then Gaṅgā, wearing her most beautiful form, showed him that adorned youth, taking him by the right hand.

1.94.30 Though Śaṃtanu had seen her before, he did not recognise that faithful one, adorned with jewels and wearing spotless garments.

1.94.31 Gaṅgā said: "The eighth son whom you once begat upon me, O king—this is he, O tiger among men. Take him home with you."

1.94.32 "He has mastered the Vedas with all their ancillary texts under Vasiṣṭha himself; skilled in arms, an incomparable archer, he equals the king of gods in battle."

1.94.33 "He is ever honoured by both gods and demons, O Bhārata; whatever scripture Uśanas knows, this one knows it all and completely."

1.94.34 "Likewise, the son of Aṅgiras—Bṛhaspati, adored by gods and demons alike—whatever scripture he knows, all of that too is established fully in this mighty-armed, great-souled son of yours, with every supplement and sub-division."

1.94.35 "The mighty sage Rāma Jāmadagnya, invincible by any foe—whatever weapon-lore he knows, that too is established in this son of yours."

1.94.36 "This great archer, skilled in the laws and aims of kingship, O king—this, my own son, a hero—I give to you; O hero, take him home."

1.94.37 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus sent off by her, Śaṃtanu, taking his son who shone like the sun, set out toward his own city.

1.94.38 That scion of Pūru, arriving at his own city—rivalling the city of Indra, abundant in every desired object—considered himself fulfilled, and then installed his son as crown prince among the Pauravas.

1.94.39 The greatly renowned son of Śaṃtanu delighted the Pauravas, his father, and the kingdom by his conduct, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.94.40 That king of boundless valour thus spent four years rejoicing together with his son.

1.94.41 Once, the king went to a forest near the river Yamunā, where he inhaled an indescribably excellent fragrance.

1.94.42 Seeking its source, he wandered in all directions and then saw a girl belonging to the fishermen's clan, beautiful as a goddess.

1.94.43 Having seen her, he asked that dark-eyed maiden: "Whose daughter are you? Who are you? And what do you intend to do, O timid one?"

1.94.44 She replied: "I am the daughter of a fisherman; by my father's command—the great-souled chief of the fishermen, blessings upon you—I ferry people across for the sake of dharma and livelihood."

1.94.45 Gazing upon her—endowed with beauty, sweetness, and fragrance, radiant as a goddess—king Śaṃtanu desired that daughter of the fisherman.

1.94.46 He went to her father and sought her hand, then questioned her father about his own purposes and conditions.

1.94.47 The fisher-king replied to that lord of the earth: "This fair-complexioned girl is mine to give in marriage the moment she is asked; but there is a certain wish in my heart — hear it, O lord of men."

1.94.48 "If you desire this girl as your lawful wife, O sinless one, you are known as a speaker of truth — therefore make a solemn compact with me in truth."

1.94.49 "Upon a pledge I will give you this maiden, O king; for no bridegroom equal to you shall ever come to me again."

1.94.50 Śaṃtanu said: "Having heard your condition, O fisher-man, I will consider whether I can grant it or not. What can be given I will give; what cannot be given I will never give under any circumstances."

1.94.51 The fisherman said: "Whatever son is born of her shall be consecrated king and lord of the earth after you — no other, O king."

1.94.52 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Śaṃtanu did not wish to grant that boon to the fisherman, O Bhārata, even though he burned intensely with desire born of the body.

1.94.53 That great king, dwelling only in thought on the fisher's daughter, returned to Hāstinapura with his mind struck by grief.

1.94.54 Then one day his son Devavrata, approaching his father who was grieving and sunk in brooding thought, spoke these words to him.

1.94.55 "All the kings of the earth are subject to your welfare; for what reason then do you grieve here constantly, O sorrowful one? And why, as if lost in meditation, do you say nothing at all, O king?"

1.94.56 Thus addressed by his son, Śaṃtanu replied: "Without doubt I am indeed absorbed in brooding, just as you say."

1.94.57 "In this great lineage, you alone are our offspring, O Bhārata; and mortal men are impermanent — for this reason I grieve, my son."

1.94.58 "Should any misfortune befall you, O son of the Ganges, our lineage is extinct; you alone, without doubt, are worth a hundred sons."

1.94.59 "Nor am I willing to take a wife again without purpose; yet for the preservation of the lineage I desire it — may it go well with you. Those who speak of dharma call having only one son the same as being sonless."

1.94.60 "The agnihotra sacrifice, the three Vedas, and all the yajñas together with their dakṣiṇās — all these do not equal a sixteenth part of the merit of having offspring."

1.94.61 "So it is likewise among men and among all creatures — this is the eternal triad of the ancients and of the best: that offspring is supreme. In this, O greatly wise one, I have no doubt."

1.94.62 "And you are a hero, ever proud, ever engaged with weapons, O Bhārata; your death, O sinless one, can come from nowhere other than a weapon."

1.94.63 "Thus I am fallen into doubt: should you be at peace, how will it be? I have told you in full, my dear son, the entire cause of my grief."

1.94.64 Then, having learned the entire cause in full, Devavrata of great intelligence departed, pondering it deeply.

1.94.65 He went quickly to seek the aged minister who was loyal to his father, and approaching him, inquired about the cause of his father's grief.

1.94.66 To that chief of the Kurus who asked him properly, the minister recounted in full the boon demanded, naming the maiden in question, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.94.67 Then Devavrata, accompanied by senior Kṣatriyas, went himself to the fisher-king and sought the maiden on behalf of his father.

1.94.68 The fisherman received him according to due rite and honored him, then spoke to him as he sat in the royal assembly, O Bhārata.

1.94.69 "You alone are a sufficient guardian for Śaṃtanu, O bull among men; you are the best son among those who have sons — what then shall I say to you?"

1.94.70 For who would not grieve upon passing up such a praiseworthy and desirable alliance — this very union — even Indra himself, the performer of a hundred sacrifices?

1.94.71 Moreover, this is the offspring of a noble one who is your equal in virtues — from whose seed the illustrious Satyavatī was born.

1.94.72 By him, dear child, your father has been repeatedly praised; he is worthy of marrying Satyavatī among all the kings, O Bhārata.

1.94.73 Even the divine sage Asita was once refused by me; that foremost of sages had ardently sought Satyavatī.

1.94.74 But as her father I must speak a little, O bull of the Bhāratas: I see only one powerful flaw here — the matter of a rival stepmother.

1.94.75 For if you were the rival of anyone — be he a gandharva or an asura — he could never live happily when you are angered, O scorcher of foes.

1.94.76 This is the only flaw here; there is no other, O prince. Know this well — good fortune to you — in the matter of giving and receiving, O scorcher of foes.

1.94.77 Thus addressed, the son of Gaṅgā replied fittingly, in the hearing of the assembled kings, for his father's sake, O Bhārata.

1.94.78 "Accept this resolve of mine as true, O best among those who speak truth: neither one born nor yet to be born would dare to speak such words as these."

1.94.79 "I will do exactly as you say: whatever son is born of her shall be our king."

1.94.80 When he had said this, the fisherman chief spoke to him again, seeking to accomplish a difficult act regarding the kingship, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.94.81 "You alone are the fitting lord of the immeasurably glorious Śaṃtanu, O righteous soul, and you are the master capable of giving away the maiden."

1.94.82 "But hear this word of mine and this matter too, O gentle one; I shall speak it in the manner of those who guard maidens, O subduer of foes."

1.94.83 "What you have pledged in the assembly of kings for the sake of Satyavatī, O you devoted to truth and righteousness, that is entirely fitting for you."

1.94.84 "It cannot be otherwise, O mighty-armed one; there is no doubt about that. But as for offspring that might be born of you — there our doubt is great."

1.94.85 Knowing that to be his concern, the one devoted to truth and righteousness then pledged anew, O king, wishing to do what was dear to his father.

1.94.86 Devavrata said: "O king of fishermen, O foremost of lords, hear this word of mine which I now speak for my father's sake in the hearing of these assembled kings."

1.94.87 "The kingdom I have already renounced before, O lord of men; and now, for the sake of offspring as well, I make this firm resolve."

1.94.88 "From this day forward, O fisherman, I shall live in perpetual celibacy; even without a son, imperishable worlds in heaven shall be mine."

1.94.89 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing these words, his body-hair standing erect with joy, the righteous fisherman replied to him: "I give her."

1.94.90 Then the apsaras in the sky, the gods, and the hosts of sages together rained down flowers and cried out: "This one is Bhīṣma — the Terrible One!"

1.94.91 Then, for his father's sake, he said to that illustrious woman: "Mount the chariot, mother; let us go to our own home."

1.94.92 Having said this, Bhīṣma helped that noble lady onto the chariot, came to Hāstinapura, and presented her to Śaṃtanu.

1.94.93 Kings both assembled together and separately praised that difficult deed of his, and cried out: "This one is Bhīṣma — the Terrible One!"

1.94.94 Seeing that difficult deed done by Bhīṣma, his father Śaṃtanu, well pleased, himself granted him the boon of death at will.

1.95.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: After the marriage was concluded, King Śaṃtanu installed that maiden of surpassing beauty in his own home.

1.95.2 Then the wise son of Śaṃtanu was born of Satyavatī — the hero named Citrāṅgada, who surpassed all men in valour.

1.95.3 Then again the mighty lord begot upon Satyavatī another great archer, Prince Vicitravīrya.

1.95.4 While Vicitravīrya had not yet reached youth, O bull of the Bhāratas, the wise King Śaṃtanu submitted to the law of time and passed away.

1.95.5 With Śaṃtanu gone to heaven, Bhīṣma, abiding by Satyavatī's counsel, established the enemy-taming Citrāṅgada upon the throne.

1.95.6 But Citrāṅgada, through his valour, held all other kings in contempt; he considered no human being his equal.

1.95.7 As he was thus scorning gods, men, and asuras alike, a powerful Gandharva king bearing the same name came against him; and a mighty battle between them took place on the field of Kurukṣetra.

1.95.8 Between those two powerful ones — the Gandharva chief and the chief of the Kurus — the battle raged for three years on the bank of the river Hiraṇvatī.

1.95.9 In that tumultuous clash, thick with a rain of weapons, the Gandharva, superior in magical power, slew the foremost of the Kurus.

1.95.10 Having slain Citrāṅgada, best of the Kurus, whose bow and arrows were varied and marvelous, the Gandharva then ascended to heaven.

1.95.11 When that tiger among kings, of great splendour, was slain, Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu performed the funeral rites, O king.

1.95.12 And the mighty-armed Bhīṣma then immediately consecrated the child Vicitravīrya, who had not yet come of age, to the Kuru kingship.

1.95.13 Vicitravīrya, abiding by Bhīṣma's counsel, then administered the realm that had been his father's and grandfather's, O great king.

1.95.14 That king, skilled in the science of dharma, honored Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu with righteous conduct, and Bhīṣma in turn protected him.

1.96.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When Citrāṅgada was slain, O sinless one, Bhīṣma, abiding by Satyavatī's counsel, administered that kingdom on behalf of his young brother.

1.96.2 Seeing that his brother, the best among the wise, had come of age, Bhīṣma resolved to arrange the marriage of Vicitravīrya.

1.96.3 Then Bhīṣma heard, O king, that three daughters of the king of Kāśī, equal in beauty to apsarases, were holding a svayaṃvara to choose their own husbands.

1.96.4 Then that best of chariot-warriors, clad in armour, set out with a single chariot, with his mother's permission, toward the city of Vārāṇasī.

1.96.5 There Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, saw the assembled kings who had gathered from all directions, and the maidens as well.

1.96.6 While the names of thousands of kings were being proclaimed, Bhīṣma himself, that mighty lord, then chose those maidens, O king.

1.96.7 And Bhīṣma, best of warriors, whose voice was like the roar of a rain-cloud, having placed those maidens on his chariot, addressed the assembled kings, O king.

1.96.8 "The gift of maidens after inviting worthy suitors, adorning the bride, and giving wealth according to one's means — this is ordained by the wise as one form of marriage."

1.96.9 "Others give a maiden in exchange for a pair of cattle, others for a stated price, others by force, and others by obtaining consent."

1.96.10 "Some take a maiden unawares, while others win her by mutual desire — that eighth form, O know well, is named among the sages."

1.96.11 "The svayaṃvara is praised and resorted to by Kṣatriyas; but those who speak of dharma declare that a bride seized by force after vanquishing opponents is the highest form of marriage for the warrior class."

1.96.12 "These maidens here I intend to carry away by force, O lords of the earth. Exert yourselves to the utmost, whether for victory or otherwise — I stand resolved for battle, O kings."

1.96.13 Having thus addressed the kings and the king of Kāśī, the valiant Kaurava placed all the maidens on his chariot, bade farewell to them all, and swiftly departed, the maidens in his possession.

1.96.14 Then all those kings sprang up in fury, slapping their own arms and biting their lips.

1.96.15 As they rushed forward hastily, removing their ornaments and putting on their armour, there was a great tumult.

1.96.16 There was a shower as of falling stars, O Janamejaya, of bright ornaments and coats of armour on all sides.

1.96.17 With their armour and ornaments gleaming swiftly in every direction, and with brows furrowed in anger and indignation and eyes red with rage, they stood thus.

1.96.18 Mounting their splendid chariots yoked by charioteers, drawn by excellent horses straining at the pole, those heroes equipped with every weapon followed the single Kaurava as he set forth, their weapons raised.

1.96.19 Then, O Bhārata, there arose a tumultuous and hair-raising battle between him alone and those many kings.

1.96.20 They simultaneously let fly ten thousand arrows at him, but Bhīṣma instantly cut down every one of them before they could reach him.

1.96.21 Then all those kings, surrounding him on every side, poured upon him a shower of arrows as storm-clouds rain upon a mountain.

1.96.22 He intercepted that rain of shafts with his own arrows from every direction, and then pierced all those earth-lords, each with three arrows in return.

1.96.23 Even his enemies marvelled at his superhuman swiftness as a chariot-warrior and at his self-defence in battle.

1.96.24 Having utterly vanquished them in battle, that Bhārata — skilled in all weapons — departed with the maidens toward the Bhāratas.

1.96.25 Then, O king, the great chariot-warrior Śālva's king, immeasurable in spirit, attacked Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, from behind in battle.

1.96.26 Like a bull-elephant, foremost among the strong, who has come upon a cow in heat and strikes a rival bull from behind with his tusks.

1.96.27 "O woman-coveter, stand and fight! Stand and fight!" said that king, the great-armed king of Śālva, goaded on by indignation.

1.96.28 Then that tiger among men, Bhīṣma, crusher of enemy forces, stirred by those words, blazed with rage like a smokeless fire.

1.96.29 Abiding by the duty of a warrior, free from fear and agitation, that great chariot-warrior turned his chariot back toward Śālva.

1.96.30 Seeing him turn back, all those kings became mere spectators at the clash between Bhīṣma and Śālva.

1.96.31 Like two mighty bulls roaring and circling one another over a cow in heat, those two, possessed of great strength and valor, moved against each other.

1.96.32 Then Śālva's king, foremost among men, covered Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, with hundreds of thousands of swift arrows.

1.96.33 Seeing Bhīṣma thus assailed first by Śālva, those kings were astonished and exclaimed "Well done! Well done!"

1.96.34 Witnessing his swiftness in combat, all those lords of the earth, the kings, joyfully honored Śālva with words of praise.

1.96.35 Hearing then the words of the assembled warriors, the enraged Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu — conqueror of enemy cities — cried out, "Stand! Stand!"

1.96.36 And in his fury he spoke to his charioteer: "Drive where that king stands, that I may today slay him as the king of birds slays a serpent."

1.96.37 Then the Kaurava duly invoked the Vāruṇa weapon, O lord of men, and with it he crushed the four horses of Śālva's king.

1.96.38 Warding off the weapons of Śālva's king with his own weapons, that Kaurava Bhīṣma, O tiger among kings, slew Śālva's charioteer, and with a single weapon further struck down his finest horses.

1.96.39 For the sake of the maidens, O best of men, Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, having vanquished him, then released that foremost of kings alive; and Śālva departed to his own city, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.96.40 And those kings who had been present there, wishing to witness the svayamvara, likewise returned to their own kingdoms, O conqueror of enemy cities.

1.96.41 Having thus won those maidens, Bhīṣma, foremost among warriors, proceeded to Hāstinapura, where the Kaurava king resided.

1.96.42 In no long time, O lord of men, he traversed forests, rivers, and mountains adorned with manifold trees.

1.96.43 Uninjured himself, having destroyed his foes in battle — he whose valor was beyond measure — the son of the river Gaṅgā brought home the daughters of the king of Kāśi.

1.96.44 That righteous-souled one received them as daughters-in-law, as younger sisters, and as daughters, and escorted them to the Kurus.

1.96.45 All of them endowed with virtues, won by his valor — Bhīṣma, as a brother, gave them to his younger brother Vicitravīrya.

1.96.46 The righteous Bhīṣma, knowing the law of the virtuous, having accomplished that superhuman deed, set about arranging the marriage of his brother Vicitravīrya, having resolved the matter together with Satyavatī, self-possessed as he was.

1.96.47 As Bhīṣma was arranging the marriage, the eldest daughter of the king of Kāśi, that virtuous woman, then spoke these words:

1.96.48 "The lord of Saubha has already been chosen by me in my heart as my husband, and he too had already chosen me — and this was also my father's wish."

1.96.49 "Śālva was to have been chosen by me at that svayamvara. Knowing this, O knower of dharma, do now what is right."

1.96.50 Thus addressed by that maiden in the assembly of brahmins, the heroic Bhīṣma fell into fitting reflection regarding what was to be done in this matter.

1.96.51 Having deliberated with brahmins who had crossed to the further shore of the Vedas, the knower of dharma then gave leave to the eldest, Ambā, daughter of the king of Kāśi.

1.96.52 Bhīṣma gave Ambikā and Ambalika as wives to his younger brother Vicitravīrya according to the rites prescribed by tradition.

1.96.53 Taking the hand of each of them, Vicitravīrya, the righteous-souled one, proud of his beauty and youth, became possessed by desire.

1.96.54 And they too were tall, dark, with blue curling hair, with reddish and prominent nails, and with full hips and breasts —

1.96.55 Certain that they had obtained a husband well-matched to themselves, both honored the auspicious Vicitravīrya.

1.96.56 And he, resembling the Aśvins in beauty, with the valor and spirit of the gods, became a captivator of the hearts of all women.

1.96.57 Sporting with those two for seven years, the young lord of the earth, Vicitravīrya, fell ill with consumption.

1.96.58 Despite the efforts of his friends and trusted physicians, that Kaurava went to Yama's abode like the sun setting.

1.96.59 Acting in accordance with Satyavatī's wishes, Bhīṣma, together with the officiating priests and all the foremost Kurus, duly performed all the funeral rites for King Vicitravīrya.

1.97.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Satyavatī, sorrowful, pitiable, yearning for a son, having performed the funeral duties for her son together with her daughters-in-law, O Bhārata —

1.97.2 — that honored and greatly blessed woman, reflecting carefully on dharma, the paternal lineage, and the maternal lineage, spoke these words to the son of Gaṅgā:

1.97.3 "In you rests the ancestral offering, the fame, and the continuity of Śaṃtanu, the ever-righteous Kaurava of great renown.

1.97.4 As ascent to heaven is assured upon doing virtuous deeds, as life is assured in truth, so dharma is assured in you.

1.97.5 You know the various duties of dharma both in summary and in detail, O knower of dharma; you know the diverse revealed scriptures and all the Vedas in their entirety.

1.97.6 I see in you steadfastness in dharma, adherence to family custom, and conduct in difficult situations like that of Śukra and Aṅgiras.

1.97.7 Therefore, O best of those who uphold dharma, I shall set you, greatly reassured, to a task; hear it and you ought to carry it out.

1.97.8 My son, your brother, the valiant one who was so dear to you, has gone to heaven even as a boy, without a son, O bull among men.

1.97.9 These two queens of your brother, O Bhārata — the fair daughters of the king of Kāśi, endowed with beauty and youth and longing for sons —

1.97.10 — you ought, O greatly blessed one, to beget offspring upon them at my command, for the perpetuation of our lineage; it is your duty to do so here.

1.97.11 Be consecrated in the kingdom, govern the Bhāratas, take wives according to dharma — do not let our ancestors sink down."

1.97.12 Thus addressed by his mother and by his friends, that scorcher of enemies, the righteous-souled one, gave in reply only a righteous answer:

1.97.13 "Without doubt, O mother, you have stated a highest duty; and you know well the supreme vow I took regarding offspring.

1.97.14 You know what happened in your presence for the sake of the bride-price, O Satyavatī; I swear to you the truth again:

1.97.15 I would renounce the three worlds, or a kingdom among the gods, or whatever else might surpass even these — but I would never in any way abandon truth.

1.97.16 The earth might abandon its smell, water might abandon its own taste, fire might abandon its form, wind might abandon its quality of touch —

1.97.17 The sun might cast off its radiance, the comet its heat, space might abandon sound, the moon might cast off its coolness —

1.97.18 The slayer of Vṛtra might abandon his valor, the king of dharma his righteousness — but I could never in any way be resolved to abandon truth."

1.97.19 Thus addressed by her son of immeasurable wealth and brilliance, mother Satyavatī then spoke again to Bhīṣma:

1.97.20 "I know your supreme steadfastness in truth, O you whose valor is your truth; if you wished, you could by your own power create three other worlds.

1.97.21 I know too that what you have spoken is truth, and you spoke it for my sake; but consider the dharma of emergencies — bear the ancestral burden.

1.97.22 Act, O scorcher of foes, in such a way that neither the family line nor dharma may come to ruin, and that your friends may rejoice."

1.97.23 As she lamented thus, pitiable and yearning for a son, speaking what deviated from dharma, Bhīṣma spoke once more to her:

1.97.24 "O queen, look to the laws of dharma — do not lead us all to ruin; departure from truth is not praised in the codes of dharma for a warrior.

1.97.25 I will declare to you, O queen, the eternal warrior dharma by which Śaṃtanu's lineage may endure imperishably on earth.

1.97.26 Having heard it, you should act upon it together with the wise men and the priest, who are skilled in the dharma of emergencies and in practical matters, having regard also for the ways of the world."

1.98.1 Bhīṣma said: O greatly blessed one, by Rāma son of Jamadagni, who could not endure his father's slaying and was consumed with wrath, the lord of the Haihayas was slain, and the thousand arms of Arjuna were hewn off.

1.98.2 And again, taking up his bow and releasing great weapons, conquering the earth with his chariot, he burned the warrior class not just once.

1.98.3 Thus, with various high and low weapons, the great-souled Bhārgava once made the earth devoid of warriors twenty-one times over.

1.98.4 Thereupon, coming together from all directions, those warrior-women had children fathered upon them by self-controlled brahmins.

1.98.5 "The son belongs to him who took the hand" — this is established in the Vedas; with that dharma fixed in their minds, those women approached the brahmins; and in the world too this rebirth of the warrior class is seen to have been practiced.

1.98.6 Now, there was in ancient times a wise sage known by the name of Utathya, and his wife was named Mamata, held in the highest esteem.

1.98.7 But Utathya's younger brother, Bṛhaspati, the great-souled, the preceptor of the dwellers in the third heaven, approached Mamata with desire.

1.98.8 Mamata said to that brother-in-law, foremost among speakers: "I am pregnant by my elder brother-in-law; let it rest — do not proceed."

1.98.9 "And this child of mine, O greatly blessed Bṛhaspati, the son of Utathya, is even now in my womb reciting the Veda together with its six ancillaries here."

1.98.10 "Your seed too is never fruitless — you ought indeed to be so; therefore, given all this, you ought today to desist."

1.98.11 Though thus properly addressed by her, the great-souled Bṛhaspati could not restrain his own self, then so given over to desire.

1.98.12 Then he, consumed by desire, lay with her who did not desire it; and as he was releasing his seed, the child in the womb spoke to him.

1.98.13 O father, I speak as the younger: there is no room here for the two of us. You have infallible seed, and I arrived here first.

1.98.14 Thus addressed, Bṛhaspati flew into rage and cursed that one; the venerable seer, rebuking the child of Utathya still in the womb, pronounced his curse.

1.98.15 "Because at such a moment, while a thing desired by all beings was taking place, you have spoken such words, therefore you shall enter into prolonged darkness."

1.98.16 By reason of that curse the sage was born bearing the name Dīrghatamas — of the far-spreading glory of Bṛhaspati, equal to Bṛhaspati himself in brilliance.

1.98.17 That illustrious one then begot sons beginning with Gautama, in order to continue the lineage and increase the family of the sage Utathya.

1.98.18 Those sons, Gautama and the rest, overcome by greed and delusion, placed him in a wooden box and cast him into the Gaṅgā.

1.98.19 "This one is blind and old and need not be supported by us" — having thought this, those cruel ones turned and went home.

1.98.20 Then, O king, the blind sage, floating downstream on that raft, drifted through very many lands.

1.98.21 Then a king named Bali, well versed in all duties, saw him as he was sinking, carried near by the current.

1.98.22 The righteous Bali, of true valour, rescued him; and recognizing who he was, that bull among men sought a boon from him — the blessing of sons.

1.98.23 "O greatly fortunate one, O bestower of honour, for the sake of continuing my line, please beget upon my wives sons who are skilled in dharma and artha."

1.98.24 Thus addressed, that splendid sage said "So be it" to him, and the king then sent his own wife Sudeṣṇā to him.

1.98.25 But the queen, deeming him blind and old, did not go herself; instead she sent her own handmaid to that aged one.

1.98.26 In her — a woman of śūdra birth — that self-controlled, righteous sage begot exactly eleven sons, beginning with Kakṣīvat.

1.98.27 Seeing those sons beginning with Kakṣīvat, all engaged in study, the valiant king said to the sage: "These are mine."

1.98.28 "No," said the great sage, declaring: "These are mine alone — Kakṣīvat and the rest were begotten by me upon a woman of śūdra birth."

1.98.29 "Your chief queen Sudeṣṇā, thinking me blind and old, disrespected me, and the foolish woman gave me a śūdra handmaid instead."

1.98.30 Then Bali propitiated that best of sages again, and sent his wife Sudeṣṇā to him once more.

1.98.31 Touching the queen with his limbs, Dīrghatamas then said to her: "A prince of great brilliance and truthful speech shall be born to you."

1.98.32 There upon Sudeṣṇā was born the royal sage named Aṅga; and in this way other great bowmen — kṣatriyas — were born on earth through brāhmaṇas.

1.98.33 Born knowing the highest dharma, endowed with valour and great strength — having heard all this, O mother, do here as you wish.

1.99.1 Bhīṣma said: I shall speak once more of a means for the growth of the Bharata lineage and its continuity, O mother — listen as I tell it.

1.99.2 Let some virtuous brāhmaṇa be invited with wealth to beget offspring upon the wives who were Vicitravīrya's fields.

1.99.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Satyavatī, her voice faltering, spoke these words to Bhīṣma with a slight smile tinged with embarrassment.

1.99.4 "What you say is true, O great-armed one, O Bhārata. Out of trust in you I shall tell you something for the sake of the family's continuity — a matter of such gravity that it cannot remain untold."

1.99.5 "You alone are dharma in our family, you are truth, you are the highest refuge — therefore hear my words and then act accordingly."

1.99.6 "O righteous-souled one, my righteous father had a ferry-boat; in my early youth I used to go there to that crossing."

1.99.7 "Then the foremost upholder of dharma, the supreme sage Parāśara, wise and intent on crossing the Yamunā river, came to the ferry."

1.99.8 "As I was ferrying him across the Yamunā, that best of sages, overcome with desire, approached me and spoke many sweet, coaxing words."

1.99.9 "Fearing his curse and fearing my father, O Bhārata, addressed with requests not easily refused, I did not dare to refuse him."

1.99.10 "He overpowered me, that child, and brought me under his sway by his ascetic power, shrouding the world in darkness right there on the boat, O Bhārata."

1.99.11 "There was once a great fishy smell about me that I found repulsive; removing that, the sage bestowed upon me this pleasing fragrance."

1.99.12 "The sage then said to me: once you have delivered my child, you shall remain a virgin on an island in this very river."

1.99.13 "That great sage, the great yogin Pārāśarya, was my son born of a virgin — he has from of old been known as Dvaipāyana."

1.99.14 "He is the venerable sage who, by his austerity, divided the four Vedas and thereby attained the title of Vyāsa in the world, and the name Kṛṣṇa from his dark complexion."

1.99.15 "A speaker of truth, devoted to tranquillity, an ascetic whose sins are burned away — appointed by me and by you, O one of boundless splendour, he will beget auspicious offspring upon your brother's wives."

1.99.16 "For he told me there: 'Remember me when there is a task to be done.' I shall summon him to mind, O great-armed Bhīṣma, if you so wish."

1.99.17 "With your consent, O Bhīṣma, that mighty ascetic will most certainly beget sons upon the wives of Vicitravīrya."

1.99.18 Upon the mention of that great sage, Bhīṣma, joining his palms in reverence, spoke: "One who views the three — dharma, artha, and kāma —

1.99.19 "— artha and its consequences, dharma and its consequences, kāma and its consequences, as well as their opposites separately — and who, having pondered them rightly with his intellect, reaches a decision: that person is truly wise.

1.99.20 "This that you have proposed is both in accord with dharma and beneficial to our family; what you have declared as the highest good pleases me well."

1.99.21 Then, when Bhīṣma had given his consent, O joy of the Kurus, Kālī called the sage Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana to mind.

1.99.22 That wise one, who was expounding the Vedas, perceived his mother's thought and appeared before her instantly and unannounced, O joy of the Kurus.

1.99.23 She then offered proper worship to her son, embraced him with both arms, sprinkled him with tears, and the daughter of the fisherman shed tears seeing that son after so long.

1.99.24 Sprinkling her with water and saluting her, the great sage Vyāsa — the elder-born son — addressed his grieving mother.

1.99.25 "I have come to do whatever you intend. Command me, O you who know the true nature of dharma — I shall do what is dear to you."

1.99.26 Then the chief priest performed worship for that supreme sage, and he received it duly, with the proper rites and mantras.

1.99.27 With him seated, his mother enquired after his welfare; then Satyavatī, gazing at him, spoke the following words.

1.99.28 "Sons are born alike of both mother and father, O sage; as a father is their master, so too is a mother — of this there is no doubt."

1.99.29 "Ordained by the Creator, you are my first son; Vicitravīrya is my younger son — so too, O brahmarṣi."

1.99.30 "Just as Bhīṣma is Vicitravīrya's brother through the father, so are you through the mother — or consider it however you will, my son."

1.99.31 "This Śāntanava, maintaining his vow and of true valour, forms no resolve regarding offspring nor indeed regarding the governance of the kingdom."

1.99.32 "You, then, out of regard for your brother, for the continuity of the family, at the word and commission of this Bhīṣma, and at my bidding — O sinless one —

1.99.33 "— and out of compassion for all beings and for their protection, out of gentleness — what I tell you, you ought to hear and act upon."

1.99.34 "Your younger brother's wives — comparable to daughters of the gods, endowed with beauty and youth, and desirous of sons by dharma —

1.99.35 "— upon those two you are capable of begetting offspring, my son, fitting for this lineage, for its continuation and for its progeny."

1.99.36 Vyāsa said: You know dharma, O Satyavatī, both the higher and the lower, and how your mind, O knower of dharma, is set upon dharma.

1.99.37 "Therefore, appointed by you and keeping dharma as my purpose, I shall do what you desire — for this has been seen as the ancient practice."

1.99.38 "I shall give sons to your brother comparable to Mitra and Varuṇa — but let those queens observe the vow I prescribe here."

1.99.39 "They shall observe it properly for one year; then they will be purified. For no woman without the vow may approach me."

1.99.40 Satyavatī said: Arrange it so that the queen may conceive forthwith. In a kingless realm there is no rain, no deities.

1.99.41 "How can a kingless kingdom be sustained, O lord? Therefore plant the seed at once; Bhīṣma will nurture the child."

1.99.42 Vyāsa said: If a son is to be given by me swiftly, out of season, then let her endure my ugliness — that is the supreme vow required of her.

1.99.43 "If she can endure my smell, my form, my dress, and my body, then let Kausalyā conceive an excellent child this very day."

1.99.44 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having said this in anticipation of the union, the sage vanished. Then she, the queen, approached her daughter-in-law in private and spoke words that were righteous, purposeful, and beneficial.

1.99.45 "O Kausalyā, understand what I tell you concerning the thread of dharma. The extinction of the Bhāratas has clearly come about through the waning of my fortune."

1.99.46 "Seeing me in anguish and the paternal lineage afflicted, Bhīṣma gave me counsel in this matter for the increase of dharma."

1.99.47 "That counsel depends on you, my daughter — know this. Raise up once more the Bharata lineage that has perished."

1.99.48 "Bear a son, O fair-hipped one, equal in splendour to the king of the gods; for he shall carry the heavy yoke of kingship for our family."

1.99.49 She somehow persuaded that righteous woman by appealing to dharma, and caused brāhmaṇas, divine sages, and guests to be fed.

1.100.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then at the proper time Satyavatī, having settled her daughter-in-law — bathed at the end of her period — upon the bed, gently spoke these words.

1.100.2 "O Kausalyā, you have a brother-in-law; he will enter your chamber this night. Remain vigilant and await him — he will come at midnight."

1.100.3 Hearing her mother-in-law's words, she lay upon the auspicious bed and thought of Bhīṣma and of the other bulls of the Kuru line.

1.100.4 Then the truth-speaking sage, appointed first to Ambikā, entered the bedchamber while the lamps were burning brightly.

1.100.5 Seeing his dark form, his reddish matted locks, his blazing eyes, and his tawny beard, the queen shut her eyes.

1.100.6 That night the daughter of the Kāśi king, wishing to please her mother-in-law yet seized by fear, could not bring herself to look at him.

1.100.7 When he had departed, the mother went to her son and asked: "My son, will a prince of good qualities be born to her?"

1.100.8 Hearing his mother's words, Vyāsa of supreme intelligence — knowing what transcends the senses, impelled by fate — spoke.

1.100.9 "He shall be born with the strength of ten thousand elephants, a man of learning, the best of royal sages, of great fortune, great valour, and great intelligence."

1.100.10 "He shall have a hundred sons, all of great strength — but owing to the failing of his mother, he himself will be blind."

1.100.11 Hearing those words of his, the mother then spoke to her son: 'A blind man is not a fitting king of the Kurus, O ascetic treasure.'

1.100.12 'You ought to give us another king — a protector of the kinsmen's lineage, an increaser of the ancestral line, a second king of the Kuru dynasty.'

1.100.13 He of great austerity promised 'So be it' and departed. And in time Kausalyā gave birth to that blind son.

1.100.14 But that blameless lady Satyavatī then instructed her daughter-in-law again and summoned the seer just as before.

1.100.15 Then the great seer approached her by the same method. He came to Ambālikā, and she, upon seeing the seer, turned pale as a corpse, crestfallen, O Bhārata.

1.100.16 Seeing her frightened, pale as a corpse, and despondent, O king, Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, spoke these words:

1.100.17 'Because you turned pale upon seeing my hideous form, therefore this son of yours shall be named Pāṇḍu — pale indeed.'

1.100.18 'And that very name shall be his in this world, O fair-faced one.' Having spoken thus, the blessed best of sages departed.

1.100.19 Then Satyā, watching him depart, spoke to her son. He again reported to his mother the paleness of that child.

1.100.20 The mother begged him once more for yet another son. And the great seer replied to that mother, 'So be it.'

1.100.21 Then in due time that princess gave birth to the boy Pāṇḍu, endowed with auspicious marks and blazing with glory. From him were born the five Pāṇḍavas, mighty archers all.

1.100.22 Then at the fertile season she assigned the eldest daughter-in-law to him again. But that one, like the daughter of a god, reflecting on the seer’s appearance and smell, refused the queen's command out of fear.

1.100.23 Then the daughter of the king of Kāśī adorned a maidservant with her own ornaments, making her like an apsaras, and sent her to Kṛṣṇa (Vyāsa).

1.100.24 The maidservant went forward to meet the seer as he arrived, greeted him reverently, and, given leave, lay with him and attended him with great care.

1.100.25 The seer found satisfaction in pleasure with her; the great seer passed the night dwelling with her, who was joyful.

1.100.26 As he rose he said to her: 'You shall no longer be a slave. And this glorious child that has entered your womb, O auspicious one, shall be foremost among all the wise in the world, righteous in soul.'

1.100.27 He was born and was named Vidura — son of Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, brother of both Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, of boundless intelligence.

1.100.28 Dharma himself, by the curse of that great-souled Māṇḍavya, was born in the form of Vidura — knowing the truth of meaning, free from desire and anger.

1.100.29 Having discharged his debt to Dharma, he (Vyāsa) came once more to his mother and informed her of the birth, then vanished there and then.

1.100.30 Thus, in the field of Vicitravīrya, even from Dvaipāyana were born those who shone like the offspring of gods, the increasers of the Kuru lineage.

1.101.1 Janamejaya said: 'What deed did Dharma commit by which he incurred a curse? And by whose curse, O Brahmā-seer, was he born in a śūdra womb?'

1.101.2 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: 'There was a certain brahmin renowned as Māṇḍavya — steadfast, knowing all dharma, abiding in truth and austerity.'

1.101.3 He of great austerity stood at the gate of his hermitage at the root of a tree, arms raised, a great yogī, observing the vow of silence.

1.101.4 After a long time, while he stood thus in austerity, some robbers carrying stolen goods arrived at that hermitage, pursued by many guards, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.101.5 They hid the plunder in his dwelling, O best of Kurus, and, having hidden it, crouched in concealment there when the troops arrived in pursuit.

1.101.6 With the thieves thus hidden, the force of those guards quickly came there, and those trackers of thieves caught sight of that seer.

1.101.7 Then, O king, they questioned that treasure of austerity standing there: 'By which path did the robbers go, O best of twice-born? By that path, O brahmin, let us go with all speed.'

1.101.8 But that treasure of austerity, O king, though the guards were speaking thus, said not a word, neither good nor bad.

1.101.9 Then those royal servants, searching through that hermitage, found the thieves hidden there, along with the goods themselves.

1.101.10 Suspicion then arose among the guards against that sage; they bound him along with the thieves and reported everything to the king.

1.101.11 The king ordered him to be executed along with those thieves. And that one of great austerity, unrecognised, was impaled upon a spike by the executioners.

1.101.12 Then those guards, having raised that sage on the spike, went back to the king, taking those goods with them.

1.101.13 But that righteous soul, though impaled upon the spike, for a long time — without food, even — did not meet death, O brahmin-seer; he sustained his life-breath and drew other sages to him.

1.101.14 Through the austerity being performed by that great-souled one on the tip of the spike, the sages were overwhelmed with extreme distress, O scorcher of foes.

1.101.15 They became birds at night and gathered round from every side, showing themselves as best they could, and questioned that best of twice-born: 'We wish to hear, O brahmin, what sin you have committed.'

1.101.16 Then that tiger among sages replied to those treasures of austerity: 'To what fault shall I trace it? For truly no other has wronged me.'

1.101.17 And the king, hearing of that seer, came out with his ministers and then sought to propitiate that best of sages mounted on the spike.

1.101.18 'Whatever wrong I did to you out of delusion and ignorance, O best of sages, I beg your forgiveness for that; you ought not be angry with me.'

1.101.19 Addressed thus by the king, the sage showed grace. When he had received grace, the king then had him brought down from the spike.

1.101.20 Having brought him down from the spike's tip, they tried to pull out the spike. Being unable to extract it fully, they cut it at the base.

1.101.21 That sage moved about with the spike still lodged inside him. By that austerity he conquered worlds difficult for others to attain. From then on he is known in the worlds as Aṇīmāṇḍavya — Spike-Māṇḍavya.

1.101.22 That brahmin, knowing the supreme truth, went to the abode of Dharma and, seeing Dharma seated there, reproached him, that powerful one.

1.101.23 'What evil deed was done by me unknowingly, whose fruit has been visited upon me in such a way? Tell me the truth quickly — see the power of my austerity.'

1.101.24 Dharma said: 'You once inserted straws into the tails of insects — the fruit of that deed has fallen upon you, O treasure of austerity.'

1.101.25 Aṇīmāṇḍavya said: 'For a trifling offence you have imposed a heavy punishment on me. Therefore, Dharma, you shall be born among men in a śūdra womb.'

1.101.26 'I now establish this rule for the world regarding the arising of dharma's fruit: up to the fourteenth year of life there shall be no sin for those who do such things; beyond that it shall indeed be a transgression.'

1.101.27 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: 'It was by this offence, by the curse of that great-souled one, that Dharma was born in a śūdra womb in the form of Vidura.'

1.101.28 Skilled in dharma and artha, free from greed and anger, far-sighted, devoted to tranquillity, and ever engaged in the welfare of the Kurus.

1.102.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: 'When those three princes were born, these three — Kuru-jāṅgala, the Kuru land, and Kuru-kṣetra — all flourished.'

1.102.2 The earth bore crops standing tall; the harvests were fruitful; the rain-cloud rained according to the seasons; the trees were laden with many flowers and fruits.

1.102.3 The beasts of burden were exhilarated; the deer and birds were joyful; the garlands were fragrant; the fruits were full of flavour.

1.102.4 The cities were filled with merchants and artisans; the brave, the learned, and the virtuous all lived happily.

1.102.5 There were no robbers, no people inclined to adharma; even in the outlying regions of the realm the Kṛta age prevailed.

1.102.6 The people, devoted to giving, righteous action, and dharma, intent on sacrifices and vows, bound to one another with affection, thrived in that time.

1.102.7 People were free from pride and anger, rid of greed; they flourished with one another; dharma reigned supreme.

1.102.8 That city shone, full like a great ocean, adorned with gateways, arches, and turrets like heaped clouds, crowded with hundreds of palaces, resembling the city of great Indra.

1.102.9 People sported joyfully along rivers, in groves, on the banks of ponds and pools, and in pleasant forests.

1.102.10 The southern Kurus then ranged about rivalling the northern Kurus and also the Siddhas, sages, and Cāraṇas. There was no wretch, and women were not widowed.

1.102.11 In that lovely land many wells, parks, assembly halls, ponds, and brahmin dwellings were built by the Kurus, and everything was guarded on all sides according to the śāstra by Bhīṣma, O king.

1.102.12 That land was lovely, marked with hundreds of shrines and sacrificial posts, enlarged by the incorporation of neighbouring kingdoms; the wheel of dharma ordained by Bhīṣma turned in the realm.

1.102.13 As the rites for those great-souled princes were being performed, all the citizens and country-folk were in a state of perpetual festival.

1.102.14 In the houses of the leading Kurus and of the townspeople, O lord of men, the words 'Give! Eat!' were heard everywhere.

1.102.15 Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and the great-minded Vidura were all cared for from birth by Bhīṣma as though they were his own sons.

1.102.16 Consecrated with all rites, engaged in vows and Vedic study, skilled in exertion and exercise, they came to youth.

1.102.17 They became proficient in the science of archery, riding on horseback, fighting with the mace and sword-and-shield, likewise in the training of elephants, and in the science of statecraft.

1.102.18 In histories and purāṇas, in various branches of learning, O lord, knowing the truth of the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences — they applied themselves diligently in all.

1.102.19 Pāṇḍu was surpassingly valiant with the bow, excelling all men; Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lord of the earth, was stronger than all others.

1.102.20 In all three worlds there was none equal to Vidura; ever fixed in dharma, O king, he had attained the highest in matters of dharma.

1.102.21 Seeing the line of Śaṃtanu, which had seemed lost, once more restored, this saying then spread through the world and all its kingdoms:

1.102.22 'Of lands for the sons of heroes, Kuru-jāṅgala; of daughters of Kāśī for knowledge of all dharma; of ancient cities, the Elephant-named city (Hāstinapura) — Bhīṣma has established all these.'

1.102.23 But Dhṛtarāṣṭra did not obtain the kingdom on account of his blindness; and Vidura because he was born of a servant woman; Pāṇḍu became lord of the earth.

1.103.1 Bhīṣma said: 'This family of ours, renowned and properly furnished with all virtues, holds sovereignty over the earth above all other kings of the earth.'

1.103.2 'Protected by kings of old, those great souls who knew dharma, never at any time has our family come to ruin here.'

1.103.3 'By me and by Satyavatī, and by the great-souled Kṛṣṇa (Vyāsa), it has been established once more in you, the threads of the lineage.'

1.103.4 'This family grows, my son, like the ocean. So it must be furthered by me and especially by you.'

1.103.5 'It is heard that a Yādava princess suitable for our family, and likewise the daughter of Subala and the daughter of the lord of Madra —'

1.103.6 '— are well-born, beautiful, and possessed of worthy guardians in every way; they are fitting for alliance with us, those bulls among kṣatriyas.'

1.103.7 'I think those women should be sought in marriage for the continuation of this family — O best of the wise, or else what do you think, Vidura?'

1.103.8 Vidura said: 'You are our father, you are our mother, you are our supreme teacher. Therefore deliberate yourself and do what is beneficial for this family.'

1.103.9 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then from brahmins he (Bhīṣma) heard of Gāndhārī, daughter of Subala — that she had propitiated the god who grants boons, Hara the destroyer of Bhaga’s eyes, and that the auspicious Gāndhārī had obtained a boon of a hundred sons.

1.103.10 Having truly heard this, Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Kurus, thereupon dispatched a messenger to the king of Gāndhāra, O Bhārata.

1.103.11 There was hesitation on the part of Subala on account of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's blindness; but weighing carefully with his intellect the family, the fame, and the conduct of the Kurus, he gave Gāndhārī, that virtuous woman, to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.103.12 Gāndhārī too had heard that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind and that she was being given to him by her father and mother, O Bhārata.

1.103.13 Then that auspicious woman, devoted to her vow of fidelity to her husband, resolved that she would not surpass her lord; she took a strip of cloth, folded it many times, and bound it over her own eyes, O king.

1.103.14 Then Śakuni, son of the king of Gāndhāra, came bringing his sister, endowed with great beauty, to the Kauravas.

1.103.15 That hero, having given his sister along with fitting gifts and apparel, returned to his own city, having been honored by Bhīṣma.

1.103.16 Gāndhārī too, that most excellent woman, through her conduct, deportment, and behavior, gave satisfaction to all the Kurus, O Bhārata.

1.103.17 Devoted to her vow of chastity, she propitiated them all by her conduct; and firm in her vow, she never praised even in speech any other man.

1.104.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: There was a foremost of the Yadus named Śūra who was the father of Vāsudeva; he had a daughter named Pṛthā, unequaled in beauty on earth.

1.104.2 That mighty hero, having first made a solemn promise to his father's sister's son who was childless, gave to him the first-born of his own offspring.

1.104.3 He gave that first-born daughter, whom he had pledged as the foremost gift, to Kuntibhoja, his great-souled friend — given friend to friend.

1.104.4 She, appointed in her father's house to the service of gods and guests, attended with devotion a fierce and terrible Brahmin of intense austerity.

1.104.5 Him of deep resolve in righteousness, whom they know as Durvāsā — that fierce one of sharpened spirit — she pleased by every effort.

1.104.6 Considering the dharma applicable in times of difficulty, he gave her a mantra endowed with power to summon, and the sage spoke thus to her.

1.104.7 Whichever deity you invoke with this mantra, by that deity's favor a son shall be born to you.

1.104.8 Thus addressed by that Brahmin, that virtuous and glorious maiden, out of curiosity, then invoked the sun-god Arka.

1.104.9 She saw the sun, the illuminator of worlds, coming toward her; that woman of flawless limbs was filled with wonder upon beholding that great marvel.

1.104.10 Then the sun, whose work is to shine, placed his seed in her; she thereupon gave birth to a hero, the foremost of all who bear weapons — born already wearing his armor, splendid, divine in origin, and invested with radiance.

1.104.11 Bearing his natural armor and with his face lit by his earrings, was born the son Karṇa, renowned in all the worlds.

1.104.12 That most resplendent one, best among givers, restored her maidenhood to her, and having given thus, ascended to heaven.

1.104.13 Concealing that transgression out of fear of her kinsmen, Kuntī then cast that auspiciously marked infant into the water.

1.104.14 That abandoned child was then adopted as a son by the greatly renowned husband of Rādhā, a son of a suta, together with his wife.

1.104.15 Those two gave a name to that infant: "Since he was born along with wealth, let him be called Vasuṣeṇa."

1.104.16 Growing up and becoming powerful, he applied himself to all weapons; that mighty hero would stand in worship of the sun until the heat touched his back.

1.104.17 At the time when that hero of truthful pledge sat muttering prayers, there was nothing that this great-souled one would refuse to give to Brahmins.

1.104.18 Indra, the nourisher of all beings and of great splendor, taking the form of a Brahmin, approached him as a suppliant and begged for his earrings and his armor.

1.104.19 Karṇa, though pained, cut off from his own body his armor dripping with blood, and severing his earrings, gave them with joined palms.

1.104.20 Śakra, astonished, gave him the Śakti weapon and said: "Among gods, asuras, men, gandharvas, serpents, and rakshasas — at whomever you hurl this in anger, he shall be no more."

1.104.21 His former name had been known as Vasuṣeṇa; thereafter by that deed he became Vaikartana Karṇa — the cutter of his own flesh.

1.105.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The daughter of Kuntibhoja, endowed with beauty, valor, and virtue, devoted to righteousness and of great vows, was presented by her father at a swayamvara.

1.105.2 She chose Pāṇḍu — lion-fanged, elephant-shouldered, bull-eyed, and of great might — from among thousands of kings.

1.105.3 That joy of the Kurus, of immeasurable good fortune, was united with her, the daughter of Kuntibhoja, as Maghavan was united with Paulomī.

1.105.4 By Devavrata's going also to the capital of the Madras, Mādrī, daughter of the lord of the Madras, renowned in the three worlds, was obtained.

1.105.5 She was celebrated among all kings and unequaled in beauty on earth; she was purchased for Pāṇḍu's sake with great wealth, and then Bhīṣma caused the marriage of the great-souled Pāṇḍu.

1.105.6 Seeing Pāṇḍu — lion-chested, elephant-shouldered, bull-eyed, high-minded, that tiger among men — people on earth were filled with wonder.

1.105.7 Then Pāṇḍu, having wed, endowed with strength and enthusiasm, desiring to conquer the earth, went against enemies on many fronts.

1.105.8 Going first against those who had given offence, the Daśārṇas were conquered in battle by Pāṇḍu, that lion among men, the bearer of the Kauravas' glory.

1.105.9 Then Pāṇḍu, taking an army bearing banners of many kinds, rich in elephants, horses, and chariots, and teeming with masses of foot-soldiers —

1.105.10 — the foe of all heroes, the adversary of all lords of the earth: Darva, the protector of the Magadha realm, was slain at Rājagṛha.

1.105.11 Then, after taking treasury, conveyances, and forces, Pāṇḍu marched to Mithilā and conquered the Videhas in battle.

1.105.12 Likewise among the Kāśis, the Suhmas, and the Puṇḍras, O bull of the Bhāratas, by the strength and valor of his own arms he brought glory to the Kurus.

1.105.13 Coming against him — that tamer of foes blazing like a great fire with showers of arrows and flames of weapons, that Pāṇḍu-conflagration — kings were burned up.

1.105.14 Those kings, their forces shattered by Pāṇḍu and his forces, were brought into submission and assigned to the works of tribute.

1.105.15 By him all those kings of the earth were vanquished; they regarded him alone as the great hero, as the gods regard Purandara.

1.105.16 All those lords of the earth came to him with joined palms, bowing low, bearing wealth and various jewels.

1.105.17 Gems, pearls, and coral, gold and silver, choice cattle, choice horses, choice chariots, and elephants —

1.105.18 — and donkeys, camels, and buffaloes, and whatever sheep and goats there were — all this the king, the lord of Hāstinapura, accepted.

1.105.19 Taking all that, Pāṇḍu set out again with his army rejoicing, intending to gladden his own kingdom and the city of Hāstinapura.

1.105.20 The fame born of glory that had been lost to Śaṃtanu, that lion among kings, and to the wise Bharata, was raised up again by Pāṇḍu.

1.105.21 Those who had formerly seized the Kuru kingdoms and the wealth of the Kurus were made tribute-paying by Pāṇḍu, the lion of Hāstinapura.

1.105.22 So spoke the assembled kings and their ministers, their minds filled with satisfaction and joy, together with the townspeople and country folk.

1.105.23 All went forth to meet him on his arrival, led by Bhīṣma; those dwellers of Hāstinapura, going as if the road were not far, saw joyfully that the whole world was thronged with many kinds of people.

1.105.24 With jewels of high and low quality brought on various vehicles, with choice elephants, horses, and chariots, with cattle, camels, and sheep — the Kauravas together with Bhīṣma, coming upon it all, could see no end to it.

1.105.25 He, the increaser of Kausalyā's joy, paid reverence to his father's feet, and duly honored the townspeople and country folk as well.

1.105.26 Bhīṣma, meeting his son who had returned fulfilled in purpose after crushing enemy kingdoms, shed tears of joy.

1.105.27 To the great sounds of hundreds of musical instruments and kettledrums, gladdening the citizens on all sides, he entered Hāstinapura.

1.106.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: With Dhṛtarāṣṭra's permission, he presented the wealth conquered by his own arms to Bhīṣma, to Satyavatī, and to his mother.

1.106.2 Pāṇḍu also sent that wealth to Vidura; and that righteous soul fully satisfied his friends with treasure.

1.106.3 Then Bhīṣma satisfied Satyavatī and the glorious Kausalyā with auspicious jewels won by Pāṇḍu, O Bhārata.

1.106.4 His mother Kausalyā rejoiced, embracing that bull among men of matchless splendor, even as Paulomī embraces the victorious Jayanta.

1.106.5 With the conquests of that hero, Dhṛtarāṣṭra performed a hundred horse-sacrifices — great rites with hundreds of thousands in sacrificial gifts.

1.106.6 Joined together with Kuntī and with Mādrī, O bull of the Bhāratas, Pāṇḍu, free from sloth, then became a wanderer of the forests.

1.106.7 Abandoning his palace dwelling and his fine beds, he became constantly given to forest life, ever devoted to the hunt.

1.106.8 Roaming the lovely southern slopes of the Himālayan mountain, he dwelt on mountain ridges and in forests of great shala trees.

1.106.9 Pāṇḍu shone in the forest dwelling together with Kuntī and Mādrī, like the splendid elephant of Purandara standing between two she-elephants.

1.106.10 The forest dwellers, seeing that Bhārata king roaming with his two wives, bearing arrows, sword, and bow, wearing varied armor, a hero and master of weapons supreme, thought him a god.

1.106.11 Men, ever diligent and urged on by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, brought constantly to the forest his desires and enjoyments.

1.106.12 Then the son of the Gaṅgā heard of a Pāraśava maiden, daughter of King Devaka, endowed with beauty and youth.

1.106.13 Then that bull among men, having wooed and brought her, caused the marriage of the great-minded Vidura.

1.106.14 And Vidura, the joy of the Kurus, begot upon her sons possessed of good breeding, equal to himself in qualities.

1.107.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, O Janamejaya, a hundred sons were born to Dhṛtarāṣṭra through Gāndhārī, and one more beyond the hundred through a Vaiśya woman.

1.107.2 To Pāṇḍu through Kuntī and through Mādrī were born five great warriors, obtained from the gods for the continuation of the family line.

1.107.3 Janamejaya said: How were a hundred sons born to Gāndhārī, O best of twice-born? And in how much time? And what was their highest lifespan?

1.107.4 How did that one son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra come to be through the Vaiśya woman? And how did Dhṛtarāṣṭra transgress against Gāndhārī his wife — a woman of righteous conduct equal to himself, living in devotion to him?

1.107.5 And how, from Pāṇḍu who had been cursed by that great soul, were born five sons, great warriors, from the gods?

1.107.6 Knowing all this as it happened, tell it in full, O wealth of austerity; I am not satisfied when my kinsmen are being told of.

1.107.7 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Gāndhārī satisfied Dvaipāyana when he came, worn out by hunger and fatigue; and Vyāsa gave her a boon.

1.107.8 She chose a hundred sons equal to her husband and herself; then in time she conceived through Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.107.9 Gāndhārī, childless, bore that planted embryo for two full years; then sorrow overtook her.

1.107.10 Hearing that a son of Kuntī had been born, blazing in splendor like the morning sun, she reflected upon the steadfastness of her own womb.

1.107.11 Unknown to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, with great effort and then faint with grief, Gāndhārī caused her own foetus — her very womb-child — to miscarry.

1.107.12 Then there issued forth a mass of flesh, hard as an iron ball, that had been carried in the womb for two full years; she set about expelling it.

1.107.13 Then Dvaipāyana, having learned of this by his insight, came swiftly; that best of murmurers of mantras beheld the fleshy mass.

1.107.14 Then he said to the daughter of Subala: 'What is it you intend to do?' And she truthfully disclosed her own intention to that supreme seer.

1.107.15 'Having heard that Kuntī's eldest son was born, radiant as the sun, I caused this womb to be expelled by me out of extreme grief.'

1.107.16 'And indeed a hundred sons were granted to me by you before; yet this mass of flesh has been born — truly, as the gift of a hundred sons.'

1.107.17 Vyāsa said: 'So it shall be, O daughter of Subala — this can never be otherwise. I have never spoken falsely, not even in jest; how then could it be otherwise?'

1.107.18 'Let a hundred pots filled with clarified butter be prepared at once, and sprinkle this solid lump with cold water.'

1.107.19 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As that solid lump was being sprinkled, it split into a hundred portions at once — each being a separate embryo of the size of a thumb-joint.

1.107.20 One hundred and one in full number, O lord of the people — thus, O king, from that mass of flesh, each appeared in due order as time passed.

1.107.21 Then he placed those embryos each in its own pot, in well-guarded places, and thereafter arranged their protection.

1.107.22 And the blessed one also instructed the daughter of Subala: 'These pots are to be opened again only after this much time has elapsed.'

1.107.23 Having said this and having made all the arrangements, the blessed and wise Vyāsa departed for austerities to the Himālaya, that mountain of rocks.

1.107.24 Through this process, Duryodhana came to be born as the king among them; yet by birth reckoning, the elder king is Yudhiṣṭhira.

1.107.25 The very moment that son was born, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, having summoned many Brāhmaṇas and also Bhīṣma and Vidura, spoke thus.

1.107.26 'Yudhiṣṭhira, the elder prince and increaser of our lineage, has attained the kingdom by his own merit — we have nothing to say against him.

1.107.27 'But will this one, next after him, also become king? Tell me truly what shall certainly come to pass in this matter.'

1.107.28 At the end of these words, O Bhārata, in all directions terrifying flesh-eating creatures cried out, and jackals howled their ill omens.

1.107.29 Having observed those dreadful portents on every side, O king, the Brāhmaṇas spoke, as did the great-minded Vidura.

1.107.30 'Clearly this son of yours shall be the destroyer of the lineage. Peace lies in his abandonment; to keep him thriving is a great wrong.'

1.107.31 'Let your sons number one fewer than a hundred, O lord of the earth — secure the welfare of the world and of the lineage through that one act.'

1.107.32 'One should abandon one person for the sake of the family; abandon a family for the sake of a village; abandon a village for the sake of a kingdom; abandon the earth for the sake of the Self.'

1.107.33 Though thus advised by Vidura and by all those foremost twice-born, the king did not act accordingly, overcome as he was by affection for his son.

1.107.34 Then all one hundred sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O king, were born within the space of a single month, and one daughter in addition to the hundred.

1.107.35 While Gāndhārī was afflicted by her ever-growing womb, a Vaiśyā woman it is said attended upon the mighty-armed Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.107.36 In that same year, O king, the greatly renowned and wise Yuyutsu — a Kāraṇa — was born from her by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O ruler of men.

1.107.37 Thus were born the hundred sons of the wise Dhṛtarāṣṭra — all mighty warriors and heroes — and one daughter, Duḥśalā.

1.108.1 Janamejaya said: 'O master, recite in order the names and the seniority — eldest to youngest — of those sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.'

1.108.2 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: 'Duryodhana, Yuyutsu, and also Duḥśāsana, O king; Duḥsaha, Duḥśalā, Jalasaṃdha, Sama, and Saha —

1.108.3 Vinda and Anuvinda, Durdharṣa, Subāhu, Duṣpradharṣaṇa, Durmarṣaṇa, Durmukha, Duṣkarṇa, and also Karṇa —

1.108.4 Viviṃśati, Vikarṇa, Jalasaṃdha, Sulocana, Citra and Upacitra, Citrākṣa, Ārucitra, and Śarāsana —

1.108.5 Durmada, Duṣpragāha, Vivityu, Vikaṭa, Sama, Ūrṇanābha, Sunābha, and likewise Nanda and Upanandaka —

1.108.6 Senāpati, Suṣeṇa, Kuṇḍodara, Mahodara, Citrabāṇa, Citravarmā, Suvarmā, and Durvimocana —

1.108.7 Ayobāhu, Mahābāhu, Citrāṅga, Citrakuṇḍala, Bhīmavega, Bhīmabala, Balākī, and Balavardhana —

1.108.8 Ugrāyudha, Bhīmakarman, Kanakāyu, Dṛḍhāyudha, Dṛḍhavarmā, Dṛḍhakṣatra, Somakīrti, and Anūdara —

1.108.9 Dṛḍhasaṃdha, Jarāsaṃdha, Satyasaṃdha, Sadaḥsuvāk, Ugraśravā, Aśvasena, Senānī, and Duṣparājaya —

1.108.10 Aparājita, Paṇḍitaka, Viśālākṣa, Durāvara, Dṛḍhahasta, Suhasta, and the pair Vātavega and Suvarcas —

1.108.11 Ādityaketu, Bahvāśī, Nāgadanta and Ugrayāyin, Kavacī, Niṣaṅgī, Pāśī, Daṇḍadhāra, and Dhanurgraha —

1.108.12 Ugra, Bhīmaratha, Vīra, Vīrabāhu, Alolupa, Abhaya, Raudrakarman, and likewise three others including Dṛḍharatha —

1.108.13 Anādhṛṣya, Kuṇḍabhedī, Virāvī, Dīrghalocana, Dīrghabāhu, Mahābāhu, Vyūḍhoru, and Kanakadhvaja —

1.108.14 Kuṇḍāśī and Virajā — and Duḥśalā as the one beyond the hundred. This is the full one hundred and one, O king, with one daughter named as well.'

1.108.15 'Know the order of birth by the sequence of names, O king. All were atiratha warriors, all heroes, all skilled in battle.

1.108.16 All were knowers of the Vedas and versed in the science of kingship; all excelled in the arts of association, adorned by learning and noble birth.

1.108.17 Wives befitting every one of them were secured, O lord of the earth, by Dhṛtarāṣṭra in due season, having considered carefully and according to proper rites.

1.108.18 At the proper time, O Bhārata, the king gave Duḥśalā to the king of Sindhu, Jayadratha, with the consent of the Subala line.'

1.109.1 Janamejaya said: 'The supernal and extraordinary origin of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra — transcending the human even among humans — has been narrated by you, O best of those who know Brahman.

1.109.2 'Their names too, spoken portion by portion, have been heard by me from you, O Brāhmaṇa. Now recite the birth of the Pāṇḍavas.'

1.109.3 'For all of them are great-souled, with the valour of the king of the gods; they themselves were declared by you to be divine portions descended in the chapter on the descent of the divine shares.'

1.109.4 'Therefore I wish to hear all about the origin of those whose deeds surpass the human. Recite it fully, O Vaiśaṃpāyana.'

1.109.5 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: King Pāṇḍu, in a great forest frequented by deer and serpents, came upon the leader of a deer herd at the time of its mating.

1.109.6 Then Pāṇḍu pierced both the doe and that stag with five swift, sharp arrows feathered with gold-tipped shafts.

1.109.7 And that one, O king, was in truth a great-spirited son of a seer, rich in austerity, a radiant being who had joined with his wife in the form of a deer.

1.109.8 While still locked together with that doe, uttering human speech, he fell to the ground in an instant and lamented, his senses distraught.

1.109.9 The deer said: 'Even men overcome by desire and anger, even those bereft of the limb of reason, even those addicted to sin — they shun acts of cruelty.

1.109.10 'Wisdom does not swallow fate, but fate swallows wisdom; wisdom does not comprehend those ends that have been overturned by fate.

1.109.11 'Born in the foremost lineage of those ever devoted to righteousness, O Bhārata — how has your mind been swayed, overpowered by desire and greed?'

1.109.12 Pāṇḍu said: 'The same conduct that applies to the slaying of enemies is held to apply to the slaying of deer for kings, O deer — you ought not, out of confusion, reproach me.'

1.109.13 'The slaying of deer without disguise and without deceit is indeed desired; that very conduct is the duty of kings — knowing this, why do you reproach me?'

1.109.14 'The sage Agastya, while seated at a sacrifice, went out to hunt; having consecrated all the forest-dwelling, divinity-dwelling deer in the great forest —

1.109.15 '— according to the dharma seen in scripture, how do you reproach us? Through the oblation-rite of Agastya, your very fat was indeed offered as an oblation.'

1.109.16 The deer said: 'Formerly arrows were not released aiming at enemies in the midst of this act — indeed it is the finding of their vulnerable moment that is especially praised as the time of slaying.

1.109.17 Pāṇḍu said: 'Whether heedless or heedful, whether exposed or concealed — kings slay powerfully, by stratagems and with sharp arrows. Why then do you reproach me, O deer?'

1.109.18 The deer said: 'I do not reproach you for slaying deer, O king, on my own account — but the act of mating should have been awaited by you here, out of non-cruelty.'

1.109.19 'At a time cherished and desired by all beings — what wise man would slay a deer engaged in mating in the forest? The dear fruit of the aims of man — that beloved thing you have made fruitless.'

1.109.20 'Born in the lineage of the Paurava kings and of those sages of effortless deeds, O Kauravya — this is not fitting for you.

1.109.21 'This deed is exceedingly cruel, condemned by all the world, non-conducive to heaven, destructive to fame, and most unrighteous, O Bhārata.

1.109.22 'A connoisseur of the pleasures of women, a knower of the true nature of the dharma and artha of the scriptures — you who are like a god should not perform such a deed that shuts the door to heaven.'

1.109.23 'By you, O best of kings, those humans who commit cruelty and evil conduct, who are devoid of the three aims of life, ought to be suppressed — not emulated.'

1.109.24 'What have you done, O best of men, in slaying me, innocent as I am — a sage subsisting on roots and fruits, wearing the form of a deer, O king, ever dwelling in the forests, wholly devoted to tranquillity?'

1.109.25 'Because you have injured me, therefore to you as well, without doubt — you who have acted cruelly toward both of us, who acted helplessly, deluded by desire — the end of life will come in this very same manner.'

1.109.26 'For I am the sage Kiṃdama by name, without equal in austerity; being ashamed before humans, I was engaged in mating with my doe.'

1.109.27 'Having become a deer, I roam in the dense forest with other deer. Yet this shall not be a brahminicide for you, since you did not know you were slaying me who had taken the form of a deer, deluded thus by desire.'

1.109.28 'But you, O fool, shall reap a fruit exactly like this — when you, deluded by desire, are together with your beloved wife, you too in that very condition shall pass to the realm of the dead.'

1.109.29 'And the beloved one with whom you shall pass to the realm of Yama, king of the dead — that realm irresistible to all beings — she, out of devotion, O best of the wise, shall follow you there.'

1.109.30 'Just as I, in the midst of happiness, have been brought to grief by you — so grief shall come upon you when happiness has arrived.'

1.109.31 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus, afflicted with the greatest pain, that deer was parted from life; and Pāṇḍu too was struck with grief in an instant.

1.110.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The king, having stepped past that one who had passed away as though it were his own kinsman, together with his wife, afflicted with sorrow and grief, lamented in anguish.

1.110.2 Pāṇḍu said: 'Alas — even those born in noble lineages reach misfortune through their deeds, those who have not mastered the self, deluded by the snare of desire.

1.110.3 'My father, though born of one ever devoted to righteousness, even as a young man met his end — enslaved by desire, so we have heard.

1.110.4 'In the field of that desire-enslaved king, the sage Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana — the blessed one himself, restrained of speech — begot me directly.'

1.110.5 Now in his calamity this vile resolve has arisen in me — that of one abandoned by the gods through wickedness, a wicked-souled man cast off on the hunt.

1.110.6 I resolve upon liberation alone, for bondage is a great affliction. I shall follow that imperishable good conduct of my father, and without any doubt I shall engage myself in the most intense austerities.

1.110.7 Therefore, alone, day by day, going from one forest tree to the next, begging alms as a shaven-headed sage, I shall wander over this earth.

1.110.8 Covered with dust, taking shelter in empty dwellings or making my abode at the roots of trees, having abandoned all that is dear and all that is not dear.

1.110.9 Neither grieving nor rejoicing, treating censure and self-praise as equal, without desire, without bowing to any, free from all pairs of opposites, possessing nothing.

1.110.10 Never mocking anyone, never knitting the brow at any time, ever serene of countenance, always devoted to the welfare of all beings.

1.110.11 Doing no harm to all four kinds of living beings, moving and stationary, always equal toward all that breathes as toward one's own offspring.

1.110.12 Begging alms only at one time of day, visiting two or five households, and when alms are not obtained, practicing fasts as well.

1.110.13 Little by little, eating only what is fit to eat, sometimes subsisting on what was obtained before, never exceeding proper measure, filling up seven bites whether gaining or not gaining.

1.110.14 If one hacks at one arm with an adze and anoints the other with sandalwood paste, harboring neither ill will nor good will toward either of those two persons.

1.110.15 Acting neither as one who desires to live nor as one who desires to die, neither welcoming nor hating death and life.

1.110.16 Passing beyond all the prospering actions that can be performed by a living being, remaining established in acts as slight as the blinking of an eye.

1.110.17 In all those states, having abandoned all activity of the senses, having wholly relinquished the sense of a dharmic self, with the impurities of the self fully cleansed.

1.110.18 Liberated from all sins, having passed beyond all snares, not standing under anyone's sway, sharing the nature of the wind.

1.110.19 Wandering continually with this way of life, of such a character, I shall sustain the body, having entered upon the fearless path.

1.110.20 I will not delight in the path followed by a dog, fit only for the feeble and pitiable, perpetually straying from one's own duty, bereft of virility.

1.110.21 He who, whether honored or dishonored, approaches another livelihood with a miserable eye, driven by desire — he walks the path of dogs.

1.110.22 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus, the king, afflicted with great grief, sighing deeply, looking at Kuntī and Mādrī, addressed them.

1.110.23 Kausalyā, Vidura the Kṣattṛ, the king together with his kinsmen, the venerable Satyavatī, Bhīṣma, and the royal priests —

1.110.24 And the great-souled Brāhmaṇas, drinkers of soma, of sharpened vows, and the elders of the Pauravas who dwell there under our protection — all of them are to be propitiated and told: Pāṇḍu has gone forth to the forest.

1.110.25 Having heard the words of their husband whose mind was resolved upon forest-dwelling, Kuntī and Mādrī both spoke words equal to his own.

1.110.26 O bull of the Bhāratas, there are also other ashramas that are possible; if we, your two lawful wives, perform great austerities together with you, you will assuredly be rewarded — even as regards heaven, there is no doubt.

1.110.27 Restraining the entire host of our senses, devoted to the world of our husband, having abandoned the pleasures of desire, we two shall practice abundant austerity.

1.110.28 O greatly wise one, O lord of men, if you abandon us two, this very day we two shall abandon life — of this there is no doubt.

1.110.29 Pāṇḍu said: If this resolve of yours two is in conformity with dharma, then I shall follow that imperishable way of conduct of my father.

1.110.30 Having abandoned the practices and pleasures of village life, performing great austerity, wearing bark garments, eating fruits and roots, I shall wander in the great forest.

1.110.31 Offering oblations into the fire at both twilights, touching water at both twilights, lean, taking limited food, wearing rags and hides and matted locks.

1.110.32 Enduring cold, wind, and heat, accompanied by hunger, thirst, and fatigue, drying out this body with austerity that is hard to perform.

1.110.33 Inclined to solitude, reflecting, subsisting on cooked and uncooked food alike, satisfying the ancestors and gods with forest offerings, with words, and with water.

1.110.34 Never performing disagreeable acts even toward forest-dwelling persons and those who dwell in hermitages — how much less toward those who dwell in villages.

1.110.35 Thus desiring the fierce, yet fiercer rule prescribed by the forest treatises, I shall abide until this body is extinguished.

1.110.36 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having thus spoken to those two wives of his, the king born of the Kaurava lineage then gave the crest-jewel, the neck-ornament, the armlets, the earrings, costly garments, and women's ornaments —

1.110.37 Having given all of these to the Brāhmaṇas, Pāṇḍu spoke again: Going to Nāgapura, it should be announced — Pāṇḍu has gone forth to the forest.

1.110.38 Having abandoned all wealth, desire, pleasure, and the supreme delight of the self, the bull of the Kurus set out with his wives.

1.110.39 Then his retinue and those attendants, hearing the various pitiful words of that lion of the Bhāratas, cried out in a terrible, anguished voice: "Alas! Alas!"

1.110.40 Shedding hot tears, abandoning that lord of the earth, they went swiftly to Nāgapura, carrying all of his message.

1.110.41 And having heard from them all that had happened in the great forest, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, foremost of men, grieved for Pāṇḍu alone.

1.110.42 The prince of the Kauravas, Pāṇḍu, subsisting on roots and fruits, then went together with his wives to the mountain Nagasabha.

1.110.43 Reaching the Caitraratha, passing beyond Varishena, crossing the Himavat, he journeyed on to the Gandhamādana.

1.110.44 Protected by the great spirits and by the Siddhas and supreme sages, the king then dwelt in level and uneven places alike.

1.110.45 O great king, having reached the lake Indradyumna and passed beyond Hamshakoota, he became an ascetic on the Śataśṛṅga.

1.111.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Even there, engaged in the highest austerity, that mighty one became a beloved sight to the hosts of Siddhas and Cāraṇas.

1.111.2 Devoted to service, free from arrogance, self-controlled, his senses conquered, striving to reach heaven through his own prowess, O Bhārata.

1.111.3 To some he became a brother, to others a friend; and other sages protected him as if he were a son.

1.111.4 But after a long time, having attained stainless austerity, Pāṇḍu became like a Brahmarishi, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.111.5 Desiring to cross to the far shore of heaven, he set forth with his wives from Śataśṛṅga, facing north; but the ascetics there spoke to him as they went up and ever further up the king of mountains, facing north.

1.111.6 We have seen many impassable regions of this mountain — the playgrounds of the gods and likewise of the Gandharvas and Apsarases.

1.111.7 The gardens of Kubera, level and uneven; the banks of great rivers; impassable places and mountain caverns.

1.111.8 There are regions of perpetual snow, devoid of trees, beasts, and birds; some places of great downpour; some that are impassable; some that are hard to reach.

1.111.9 No bird can cross those places, let alone other animals; only the wind passes through there, and the Siddhas and supreme sages.

1.111.10 On this king of mountains, how could these two royal ladies walking there not falter? O bull of the Bhāratas, you who do not deserve suffering — do not go.

1.111.11 Pāṇḍu said: O greatly fortunate ones, the gate to heaven is not declared open for one without offspring. Tormented by that, I who am without offspring — this I tell you.

1.111.12 Men are born on earth bound by four debts — the debts owed to ancestors, gods, sages, and men — by the hundreds of thousands.

1.111.13 But those who do not discharge these in due time — for them there are no higher worlds: this has been established by those who know dharma.

1.111.14 One satisfies the gods through sacrifices, sages through study and austerity, ancestors through sons and funeral rites, and men through kindness.

1.111.15 From the debt to sages, gods, and men I am free by dharma; but from the debt to the ancestors I am not free — and by that I am tormented, O you whose wealth is austerity.

1.111.16 When the body perishes, the ancestors perish with certainty — this is the settled truth. Therefore the best of men are born here for the purpose of offspring.

1.111.17 Just as I was created by that great soul in my father's field, so how indeed might offspring come to be in this field of mine?

1.111.18 The ascetics said: O man of dharma, O king, there is indeed auspicious, sinless offspring for you equal to the gods — this we know with divine sight.

1.111.19 O tiger among men, bring about here through action what is ordained by fate; a wise man, untroubled, obtains fruit without hardship.

1.111.20 When the fruit is thus seen, dear one, you should make the effort; having obtained offspring endowed with virtues, you will attain joy.

1.111.21 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having heard those words of the ascetics, Pāṇḍu became deeply anxious, knowing that his own capacity for begetting had been destroyed by the curse of the deer.

1.111.22 He spoke in private to Kuntī, his lawful wife of great renown, deliberating on the means for producing offspring in this difficult situation.

1.111.23 Offspring, O Kuntī, is indeed the foundation in the worlds, joined to dharma — thus the wise have known from the beginning as the eternal dharma.

1.111.24 The sacrifice performed, the gift given, the austerity practiced, the vow duly observed — all of this is said here to bring no purification for the one without offspring.

1.111.25 Knowing this, O bright-smiling one, I see clearly, reflecting that I who am without offspring shall not attain the auspicious worlds.

1.111.26 My power of begetting has been destroyed by the curse of the deer, O timid one, for me of unrestrained self, a perpetrator of cruelty — destroyed as thoroughly as if it had been shattered.

1.111.27 In the view of dharma there are indeed six types of sons who are heirs of kinsmen, and six who are not heirs of kinsmen — hear them from me, O Pṛthā.

1.111.28 The self-born, the appointed, and the purchased son; the son of a remarried woman, the son born before marriage, and he who is born of a woman who goes freely.

1.111.29 The given, the bought, the adopted, and he who comes of his own accord; one carried in the womb at the time of marriage, one born from seed already deposited, and one maintained from a low womb.

1.111.30 In the absence of the prior and the most prior, understanding this, one should desire to obtain a son; inferior men seek a son from a superior man in adversity.

1.111.31 The good obtain the finest offspring that yields the fruit of dharma even from another's seed, O Pṛthā — so declared Manu Svāyaṃbhuva.

1.111.32 Therefore today I shall send you out, I myself being deficient in the power of begetting — know the offspring to be your own, O renowned one, from one equal to me or superior.

1.111.33 Hear also this story, O Kuntī, concerning Sharadandayani, that wife of a hero who was appointed by her elders for the birth of offspring.

1.111.34 Purified in her season and bathed, O Kuntī, at night at a crossroads, having chosen a perfected twice-born and offered oblations into the fire at the son-producing rite —

1.111.35 When that rite was concluded, she dwelt together with him; there she gave birth to three great warriors beginning with Durjaya.

1.111.36 In the same way, O auspicious one, by my command, go quickly to a Brahmin distinguished in austerity for the production of offspring.

1.112.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: O great king, thus addressed, Kuntī spoke to Pāṇḍu, that bull of the Kurus, the brave lord of the earth, her husband.

1.112.2 O knower of dharma, O lotus-eyed one, you should not speak to me like this in any way — to me your lawful wife who delights in you.

1.112.3 Rather, O mighty-armed one, O hero, O Bhārata, you yourself shall beget on me offspring endowed with valor, in accordance with dharma.

1.112.4 I would go to heaven together with you, O tiger among men; come to me for the sake of offspring, O joy of the Kurus.

1.112.5 For I would not approach any other man even in thought apart from you; and who else is there in the world more excellent than you?

1.112.6 Now hear this ancient story rooted in dharma from me, O wide-eyed one, which I shall recount — a tale widely celebrated.

1.112.7 There was of old a king known as Vyuṣitāśva, supremely devoted to righteousness, the extender of the lineage of Pūru.

1.112.8 When that righteous and great-souled one was performing sacrifice, the gods together with Indra and the great sages came thither.

1.112.9 Indra became exhilarated with soma, and the twice-born with the sacrificial fees, at the great sacrifice of that royal sage Vyuṣitāśva.

1.112.10 Then Vyuṣitāśva, O king, shone beyond all mortals, surpassing all creatures as the sun surpasses them at the end of winter.

1.112.11 That best of kings, conquering and subduing the monarchs of the east, north, and the middle regions, brought the southern kings to submission.

1.112.12 At the great horse sacrifice, the valorous Vyuṣitāśva, that lord of kings, was possessed of the strength of ten elephants.

1.112.13 Even now those who know the ancient lore sing this verse about him: Vyuṣitāśva, having conquered this earth up to the shores of the sea, protected all the social orders as a father protects his own sons.

1.112.14 Performing great sacrifices, he gave wealth to the brahmins; having collected unlimited riches, he conducted great rites, pressed many soma-libations, and spread out soma ceremonies.

1.112.15 He had a wife most highly esteemed, Kakshivati's daughter, named Bhadrā, O lord of men, unrivalled in beauty on earth.

1.112.16 They two loved each other passionately — so the tradition says; overcome with desire for her, he contracted consumption.

1.112.17 Before long he set like the sun, and when that lord of men was dead, his wife was overwhelmed with grief.

1.112.18 Childless, the deeply afflicted Bhadrā lamented piteously — so we have heard; know this, O lord of men.

1.112.19 O best knower of dharma, every woman deprived of a son who lives without her husband does not truly live — she lives in misery.

1.112.20 For a woman, death without her husband is better, O bull among Kṣatriyas; I wish to follow your path — be gracious and take me with you.

1.112.21 Bereft of you I cannot bear to live even a moment; show grace to me, O king, take me swiftly from here.

1.112.22 I shall follow behind you, O tiger among men, as you go on without turning back, through level and uneven paths alike.

1.112.23 Like a shadow that does not depart, O king, ever devoted to your will, I shall be, O tiger among men, always intent on your welfare and delight.

1.112.24 From this day forward, O king, terrible mental agonies that wither the heart will overwhelm me without you, O lotus-eyed one.

1.112.25 Surely in my misfortune, O king, unions with companions were severed in previous lives, or associations were broken.

1.112.26 And this sorrow born of separation from you has caught up with me now, O king — accumulated in former bodies by sinful deeds.

1.112.27 From this day forward, O king, I shall lie on a bed of kusha grass, filled with wretchedness, my whole aim set only upon seeing you again.

1.112.28 Show yourself to me, O tiger among men — to me who is wretched, helpless, miserable, and lamenting; be gracious, O lord of men.

1.112.29 While she thus lamented in many ways again and again and clasped that corpse, a disembodied voice is said to have spoken.

1.112.30 Rise, Bhadrā; go — I will grant you a boon here; I shall beget offspring upon you, O fair-smiling one.

1.112.31 On my own bed, O fair-limbed one, on the fourteenth or the eighth night after your purifying bath at the appointed season, lie down with me.

1.112.32 Thus addressed, that goddess devoted to her husband did exactly as was said; Bhadrā, desiring sons, did exactly as instructed.

1.112.33 That goddess bore sons by him — the corpse — O lord of men: three Śālvas and four sons of Madra, O best of the Bhāratas.

1.112.34 In the same way you too, O bull of the Bhāratas, are able by the power of austerity and spiritual discipline to beget sons in me by mental resolve alone.

1.113.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by her, the king, that knower of dharma, spoke again to that goddess this most excellent speech in accordance with righteousness.

1.113.2 Exactly so did Vyuṣitāśva act in former times, O Kuntī, as you have described, O auspicious one — for he was like an immortal.

1.113.3 But now I shall speak of this dharma — hear it from me: the ancient usage seen by the great-souled knowers of dharma among the seers.

1.113.4 Women were unrestrained in former times, O fair-faced one, roaming freely as they pleased, independent, O lovely-eyed one.

1.113.5 When they went to other men from girlhood, apart from their husbands, O blessed one, there was no unrighteousness, O fair-limbed one — for that was the law in ancient times.

1.113.6 Even today creatures born in animal wombs follow that ancient law, free from desire and aversion; this dharma as seen by the ancients is still honored by the great seers.

1.113.7 Among the Northern Kurus even today that eternal dharma prevails, O Rambhorū, which confers freedom on women.

1.113.8 But in this world not long ago this boundary-rule was established, O pure-smiled one — hear from me at length by whom and for what reason.

1.113.9 There was a great seer named Uddālaka — so we have heard; his son, the sage who became known as Śvetaketu.

1.113.10 This boundary-rule was established by him among humans — so we have heard — out of anger, O lotus-eyed one; hear from me the reason for it.

1.113.11 Before Śvetaketu's very eyes, a brahmin took his mother by the hand in his father's presence and said, "Let us go."

1.113.12 The son of the seer then became angry and indignant when he saw his mother being led away thus as if by force.

1.113.13 Seeing him enraged, his father said to Śvetaketu: "Do not be angry, my son — this is the eternal law."

1.113.14 "For the women of all social orders are unrestrained on earth, my son; just as cattle are, so are people, each within their own social order."

1.113.15 But the seer's son Śvetaketu could not accept that law, and he established this boundary-rule for men and women on earth.

1.113.16 Among humans, O greatly blessed one, but not among other creatures — from that time this rule has been established, so we have heard.

1.113.17 From this day forward, for a woman who goes to another man abandoning her husband, the sin shall be equal to the slaying of an embryo — a painful transgression.

1.113.18 Likewise for a man who violates a woman who was chaste from girlhood and devoted to her husband, this same sin will apply on earth.

1.113.19 And for the wife who is directed by her husband for the purpose of offspring yet refuses to comply, this same sin will befall her as well.

1.113.20 Thus in ancient times this righteous boundary-rule was forcibly established, O timid one, by Śvetaketu, the son of Uddālaka.

1.113.21 And Madayantī, O Rambhorū, appointed for the production of offspring, went to the seer Vasiṣṭha by Saudāsa's direction — so we have heard.

1.113.22 From this she received a son named Aśmaka, that beautiful woman, the wife of Kalmāṣapāda, desiring to please her husband.

1.113.23 Our own birth is also known to you, O lotus-eyed one — that we were born of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana for the flourishing of the Kuru lineage, O timid one.

1.113.24 Considering all these reasons, you ought to carry out this righteous request of mine, O blameless one.

1.113.25 "A husband should not be disobeyed by his wife in each fertile season, O princess devoted to your vow" — thus those who know dharma know this law.

1.113.26 In all other remaining times, a woman indeed is entitled to independence — good people describe this as the ancient dharma.

1.113.27 Whatever a husband commands his wife, O princess, whether righteous or even unrighteous, that must be carried out accordingly — so those who know dharma declare.

1.113.28 Especially one who is eager for sons yet is himself lacking in the power of procreation — as I am, O blameless-limbed one, longing to behold a son.

1.113.29 With palms reddened and resembling lotus petals, O auspicious one, this folded salutation is raised by me to your head to beg your grace.

1.113.30 By my direction, O beautiful-haired one, from a twice-born man excelling in austerity, you ought to beget sons endowed with virtues; for your sake, O broad-hipped one, I would reach the path of those who have sons.

1.113.31 Thus addressed, Kuntī then replied to Pāṇḍu, the conqueror of enemy cities — that fair-limbed woman devoted to her husband's welfare and delight.

1.113.32 "As a young girl in my father's house, appointed to the honor of guests, I attended there upon a fierce brahmin of sharp-edged vow."

1.113.33 "He whose resolve in dharma is hidden — him they know as Durvāsā; him I gratified with every effort, that one of disciplined soul."

1.113.34 "That blessed one declared to me a boon connected with invocation; he gave me a group of mantras and also spoke this to me."

1.113.35 "Whichever god you summon with this mantra, whether reluctantly or willingly, he will come under your control."

1.113.36 "So I was told at that time in my father's house by that brahmin, O Bhārata — that true word of his; now the time for it has come."

1.113.37 "With your permission, O king, I shall summon a god, O royal sage, with that mantra, so that we may have progeny, O lord."

1.113.38 "Tell me which god I shall summon, O best of knowers of truth; know me as standing ready in this matter, awaiting your permission."

1.113.39 Pāṇḍu said: This very day, O fair-limbed one, prepare yourself duly and summon Dharma, O auspicious one — for he is the meritorious one among the gods.

1.113.40 "Our son born of dharma will in no way be tainted by unrighteousness, O fair-limbed one; and this world will regard this as righteous."

1.113.41 "He will be righteous and the Kurus' heir — there is no doubt; even though begotten through delegation, his mind will not delight in unrighteousness."

1.113.42 "Therefore, placing dharma foremost, restrained and pure-smiled, worship Dharma with ritual service and invocation."

1.113.43 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus directed by her husband, that beautiful woman assented saying "So be it"; saluting him and receiving his leave, she circumambulated him.

1.114.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When a year had passed since Gāndhārī's pregnancy, O Janamejaya, Kuntī summoned the infallible Dharma for the sake of a child.

1.114.2 That goddess hastened and offered oblations to Dharma; she muttered the mantra given long ago by Durvāsā, according to prescribed rite.

1.114.3 Uniting with Dharma who bore the form of yogic power, that fair-limbed woman obtained a son — the foremost among all living beings.

1.114.4 In the auspicious lunar mansion presided over by Indra, in the eighth muhurta called Abhijit, when the sun was at midday, on a holy and honored lunar day —

1.114.5 — Kuntī at the proper time brought forth a son of abundant glory; and the moment that son was born, a disembodied voice spoke.

1.114.6 "This one will be the foremost among upholders of dharma — there is no doubt; known as Yudhiṣṭhira, the first-born son of Pāṇḍu."

1.114.7 He will become a celebrated king, renowned in all three worlds, endowed with fame, splendour, and righteous conduct.

1.114.8 Having obtained that righteous son, Pāṇḍu spoke to her again: 'They say the warrior class is highest by strength; choose a son who is greatest in strength.'

1.114.9 Commanded thus by her husband, she invoked Vāyu, the wind-god; from him was born the mighty-armed Bhīma, of terrible valour.

1.114.10 When even that one of surpassing strength was born, a bodiless voice proclaimed: 'This one born is the greatest among all the strong,' O Bhārata.

1.114.11 This too was a great wonder at the very birth of Vṛkodara: having fallen from his mother's lap, he shattered a rock with his limbs.

1.114.12 Kuntī, startled by fear of a tiger, had suddenly leapt up and did not notice that Vṛkodara was sleeping in her own lap.

1.114.13 Then that boy, compact as a thunderbolt, fell upon the mountain rock, and as he fell the rock was shattered into a hundred pieces by his limbs; seeing that rock crushed, Pāṇḍu was astonished.

1.114.14 On the very day that Bhīma was born, O best of the Bhāratas, Duryodhana too was born there, O lord of the earth.

1.114.15 After Vṛkodara was born, Pāṇḍu reflected further: 'How might I have an excellent son who is the finest in the world?'

1.114.16 This world indeed rests on both fate and human effort; of these, fate is attained through prescribed rites joined with the proper time.

1.114.17 We have heard that Indra is the king and chief of the gods, of immeasurable strength and enterprise, endowed with heroism, of boundless splendour.

1.114.18 By satisfying him through austerity I shall obtain a son of great might; the son he grants me will be most excellent. By deed, thought, and word I shall therefore perform great penance.

1.114.19 Then Pāṇḍu of great splendour, having consulted with the great seers, enjoined on Kuntī, the scion of the Kauravas, the auspicious vow lasting a full year.

1.114.20 And the mighty-armed one himself stood on one foot and undertook fierce austerity with the highest concentration of mind.

1.114.21 Desiring to propitiate that lord of the thirty gods, the righteous-souled one revolved together with the sun, O Bhārata.

1.114.22 After a long time, Vāsava spoke to him in reply: 'I shall grant you a son renowned in all three worlds.'

1.114.23 I shall give you a foremost son who will accomplish the purposes of gods, brahmins, and friends, and who will destroy all enemies.

1.114.24 Addressed thus by the great-souled Vāsava, the Kaurava king, righteous in soul, spoke to Kuntī, recalling the words of the king of gods.

1.114.25 One possessed of policy, great-souled, equal in splendour to the sun, difficult to assail, active in deeds, of truly wondrous appearance —

1.114.26 — such a son do you bear, O fair-hipped one, the very embodiment of kingly valour. The favour has been obtained from the lord of gods; invoke him, O bright-smiling one.

1.114.27 Thus addressed, the illustrious one invoked Śakra; Devendra came and begot Arjuna.

1.114.28 At the very moment the boy was born, a bodiless voice spoke, of deep and resonant sound, causing the sky to reverberate.

1.114.29 O Kuntī, equal to Kārtavīrya, of valour comparable to Śibi's, this one unconquerable like Śakra will spread your fame.

1.114.30 Just as Aditi's joy was increased by Viṣṇu, so Arjuna, equal to Viṣṇu, will increase your joy.

1.114.31 This one, having brought the Madras under his sway and the Kurus along with the Kekayas, and the Cedis, Kāśis, and Karūṣas, will adorn the glory of the Kuru line.

1.114.32 By the strength of this one's arms, the fire-god in the Khāṇḍava forest will attain the utmost satisfaction with the fat of all creatures.

1.114.33 Having conquered chieftains and rulers of the earth, this mighty hero, together with his brothers, will perform three great sacrifices.

1.114.34 O Kuntī, equal to Jamadagni's son, of valour comparable to Viṣṇu's, this one will be the foremost of the heroic and will remain undefeated.

1.114.35 Likewise this bull among men will acquire all divine weapons in their entirety, and will restore the prosperity that was lost to the brahmins.

1.114.36 The wind spoke this most wondrous speech in the sky at the birth of Kuntī's son, and Kuntī heard it.

1.114.37 Hearing that speech spoken aloud, the ascetics dwelling on mount Śataśṛṅga were filled with the utmost joy.

1.114.38 Likewise among the divine sages and the celestials together with Indra, and in the sky, there arose a tumultuous sound of kettledrums.

1.114.39 A great clamour arose, accompanied by showers of flowers; and the hosts of gods, having assembled, honoured Pārtha.

1.114.40 The sons of Kadrū, the sons of Vinatā, the Gandharvas and Apsaras, all the lords of creatures, and the seven great sages as well —

1.114.41 — Bharadvāja, Kaśyapa, and Gautama; Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni, Vasiṣṭha; and the one who appeared when the sun was eclipsed — that very blessed Atri also came there.

1.114.42 Marīci, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Dakṣa, Prajāpati, and the Gandharvas and Apsaras likewise —

1.114.43 — wearing divine garlands and garments, adorned with all ornaments, the Apsaras sang and danced before Bībhatsu; the glorious Tumburu together with the Gandharvas sang.

1.114.44 Bhīmasena, Ugrasena, Urnayu, Anagha, Gopati, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Suryavarcas as the seventh —

1.114.45 Yugapa, Trinapha, Kārṣṇi, Nandī, Citraratha as well, Shalisiras as the thirteenth, and Parjanya as the fourteenth —

1.114.46 Kali as the fifteenth here, and Nārada as the sixteenth; Sat, Brihad, Brihaka, and the greatly renowned Karāla —

1.114.47 Brahmacārī, Bahuguna, the famous Suparṇa, Viśvāvasu, Bhumanyu, and Sucandra as the tenth —

1.114.48 The famous Hāhā and Hūhū, endowed with sweetness of song — these divine Gandharvas all sang there for that bull among men.

1.114.49 Likewise the greatly blessed Apsaras, joyful and adorned with all ornaments, danced and sang, their eyes wide and lovely.

1.114.50 Anuna, Anavadya, Priyamukha, Gunavara, Adrika, Śacī, Miśrakeśī, and Alambusā —

1.114.51 Marīci, Shicuka, Vidyutparṇa, Tilottamā, Agnika, Lakshana, Kṣema, Devi, Rambhā, and Manoramā —

1.114.52 Asita, Subāhu, Supriya, Supavus, Puṇḍarīka, Sugandha, Suratha, and Pramathini —

1.114.53 Kamya and Sharadavati danced there in groups; Menakā, Sahajanya, Parnika, Puñjikasthalā —

1.114.54 Kratusthala, Ghṛtācī, Vishvaci, Purvacitti, the well-known Umloca, Pramloca — these ten, and Urvaśī as the eleventh — all these long-eyed ones sang.

1.114.55 Dhata, Aryaman, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aṃśa, Bhaga, Indra, Vivasvat, Pusha, Tvaṣṭā, and Savitā —

1.114.56 Parjanya and Viṣṇu — these Ādityas, blazing like fire, stood in the sky, magnifying the glory of the Pāṇḍava.

1.114.57 Mṛgavyādha, Śarva, the greatly renowned Nirrita, Ajakapada, Ahirbudhnya, and Pinākī the scorcher of foes —

1.114.58 Dahana, Ishvara, Kapālī, O lord of people, Sthāṇu, and the blessed Bhava — these Rudras stood there.

1.114.59 The two Aśvins, the eight Vasus, the mighty Maruts, the Viśvedevas, and the Sādhyas — all these were assembled and stationed there.

1.114.60 Karkoṭaka, Śeṣa, the serpent Vāsuki, Kacchapa, Apakunda, and the great serpent Takṣaka —

1.114.61 — endowed with splendour, of great wrath, of great strength, they came; these and many other Nāgas were stationed there.

1.114.62 Tarkhya, Ariṣṭanemi, Garuḍa of the dark banner, Aruṇa, and Āruṇi — the sons of Vinatā were stationed there.

1.114.63 Seeing that great wonder, the best of sages were astonished and thenceforth showed even greater regard toward the Pāṇḍavas.

1.114.64 But Pāṇḍu of great fame, out of desire for a son, urged the fair-limbed one again; Kuntī then spoke to him thus.

1.114.65 A fourth delivery is not sanctioned even in dire necessity, so they say; beyond that a woman becomes wanton, and at the fifth a harlot.

1.114.66 You who know this dharma, comprehensible to the intellect — how then do you speak to me, as if in heedlessness, urging me to transgress it for the sake of offspring?

1.115.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When the sons of Kuntī and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra had been born, the daughter of the king of Madra spoke privately to Pāṇḍu.

1.115.2 O scorcher of foes, I feel no sorrow toward you even in your affliction; nor in the inferiority of one who deserves the best, O sinless one, while dwelling with you always.

1.115.3 O king, O delight of the Kurus, even hearing that a hundred sons have been born to Gāndhārī, my grief was not as great as this.

1.115.4 But this is my great sorrow — to be equal in status yet without a son. By good fortune, however, there is now offspring through Kuntī for my husband.

1.115.5 If the daughter of the Kuntiraja king would extend the lineage of offspring through me, it would be a favour to me and would also serve your welfare.

1.115.6 For I am inhibited by rivalry with a co-wife from speaking to Kuntī's daughter myself; but if you are pleased with me, urge her yourself.

1.115.7 Pāṇḍu said: O Mādrī, this very wish has always revolved in my heart too; but I did not venture to speak to you, weighing what is desirable and what is not.

1.115.8 But knowing this to be your wish, I shall endeavour henceforth; I believe that when spoken to by me she will certainly accept my words.

1.115.9 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Pāṇḍu spoke these words to Kuntī again in private: 'Do what is dear to my lineage and to the world.'

1.115.10 For the sake of preventing the extinction of offerings to me and to my ancestors, and for my own sake, O auspicious one, do this highest good deed.

1.115.11 For the sake of renown also, perform this most difficult act — just as Indra, desiring glory, obtained his lordship through sacrifices.

1.115.12 Likewise, O beautiful one, brahmins who know the mantras, having performed most arduous austerity, approach their teachers for the sake of renown.

1.115.13 Likewise all the royal sages and the brahmins whose wealth is austerity have performed various difficult deeds, both high and low, for the sake of renown.

1.115.14 O blameless one, you — as if by a raft — ferry Mādrī across; by sharing offspring with her, attain the highest glory.

1.115.15 Thus addressed, she said to Mādrī: 'Think of a deity just once; from that a fitting offspring will certainly be born to you, without doubt.'

1.115.16 Then Mādrī, having deliberated, went to the Aśvins in her mind; the two of them came and begot twin sons upon her.

1.115.17 Nakula and Sahadeva, unmatched in beauty in the world — at the birth of those twins too, a bodiless voice spoke.

1.115.18 These two, endowed with beauty, courage, and virtue, surpass all other men, blazing exceedingly with splendour and with the wealth of beauty.

1.115.19 The dwellers of Śataśṛṅga gave names to them with devotion, with ritual acts, and with blessings, O lord of peoples.

1.115.20 The eldest of Kuntī's sons they called Yudhiṣṭhira, the middle one Bhīmasena, and the third Arjuna.

1.115.21 The Brahmins, with joyful hearts, named the elder of Mādrī's sons Nakula and the other Sahadeva. Those best of Kurus were born year after year.

1.115.22 Then Pāṇḍu urged Kuntī again on Mādrī's behalf. Pṛthā said to him: 'O king, I was told this in private only once.'

1.115.23 'When spoken to once, she obtained a twin—by that I was deceived. I fear being surpassed by her; such is the way of women.'

1.115.24 'Foolish that I was, I did not know that invoking for a pair yields two sons. Therefore I should not be urged by you again—let this be my boon from you.'

1.115.25 Thus the five sons of Pāṇḍu, given by the gods and of great strength, were born—renowned and extenders of the Kuru lineage.

1.115.26 Endowed with auspicious marks, lovely to behold as the moon, proud as lions, great archers, striding with a lion's valor, lion-necked lords of men—they grew up with godlike might.

1.115.27 As they grew on that holy Himālayan mountain, they caused wonder among the great seers who gathered there.

1.115.28 And those five, together with a hundred, who all enlarged the Kuru race, grew in a short time like lotuses in water.

1.116.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Pāṇḍu then rejoiced on the mountain in the great forest, beholding his five handsome sons, guarded by the strength of his own arms.

1.116.2 Once, in the sweet spring season when the forest was in full bloom and all creatures were bewildered with desire, the king wandered through the forest with his wife.

1.116.3 The forest was rich with palāśa, tilaka, mango, campaka, and pāribhadraka trees, and many other trees laden with fruits and flowers.

1.116.4 Adorned with various bodies of water and with lotus ponds, the forest captivated Pāṇḍu's gaze, and desire awakened in his heart.

1.116.5 As he roamed there with a joyful mind, carefree as an immortal, Mādrī alone followed him, wearing a beautiful garment.

1.116.6 Beholding her in the fullness of her youth, clad in thin garments, his desire blazed up like fire in a thicket.

1.116.7 Seeing her lotus-eyed and equal to himself in a secluded place, the king, overpowered by the force of desire, could not restrain that longing.

1.116.8 Then the king forcibly seized her in that solitary place, though the queen struggled and restrained him with all her strength.

1.116.9 His soul consumed by desire, he did not recall the curse as he came forcibly upon Mādrī in the act of union.

1.116.10 The Kaurava, fallen under the sway of Kāma to the end of his life, casting aside the fear born of the curse, came forcibly upon his beloved.

1.116.11 His intellect, enslaved to desire, was directly deluded by Fate itself; churned by the tumult of the senses, it vanished along with his consciousness.

1.116.12 Having united with his wife, O joy of the Kurus, the supremely virtuous Pāṇḍu met with the law of death.

1.116.13 Then Mādrī embraced the king, whose consciousness had departed, and cried out again and again in inconsolable grief.

1.116.14 Then Kuntī, together with her sons and the two Pāṇḍava sons of Mādrī, all came together to where the king lay thus.

1.116.15 Then Mādrī, distressed, spoke these words to Kuntī: 'Come here alone; let the children stay right there.'

1.116.16 Hearing those words, Kuntī stopped the children right there, and crying out 'I am undone!' she quickly came forward.

1.116.17 Seeing Pāṇḍu and Mādrī lying on the ground, Kuntī's body was seized with grief, and she lamented in deep sorrow.

1.116.18 'O hero, always self-possessed, ever guarded by me—how did you transgress the curse knowingly, you who dwell in the forest?'

1.116.19 'O Mādrī, was it not your duty to protect the lord of men? How did you entice the king of men into a lonely place?'

1.116.20 'How could delight arise in one who was always afflicted, who had reached you alone in a secluded place, pondering that very curse?'

1.116.21 'You are fortunate, O princess of Bāhlika, more blessed than I; for you have seen the face of the king in his moment of joy.'

1.116.22 Mādrī said: 'Though I enticed him and though I restrained him repeatedly, he could not be stopped by me. Truly, he wished to fulfill his fate.'

1.116.23 Kuntī said: 'I am the elder lawful wife; the foremost reward of dharma is mine. What must be shall be—O Mādrī, do not turn me away.'

1.116.24 'I shall follow my husband who has passed into the realm of the dead. Rise, leave him to me, and protect these children.'

1.116.25 Mādrī said: 'I shall follow the husband who did not flee. I am not yet satisfied in my desires—let the elder consent to this.'

1.116.26 'This best of Bhāratas was exhausted coming to me in desire—how could I cut off his desire and leave him unsatisfied in Yama's abode?'

1.116.27 'Nor could I, O noble lady, treat your sons and mine without distinction; sin would touch me if I were to do so.'

1.116.28 'Therefore, O Kuntī, you must treat my two sons as your own; for this king who desired me has passed into the realm of the dead.'

1.116.29 'Along with the king's body, this body of mine too must be burned, well adorned. O noble one, do me this kindness.'

1.116.30 'And be vigilant and beneficent toward the children for my sake. I see nothing else that I need entrust to you.'

1.116.31 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus, that glorious lawful wife, daughter of the Madra king, quickly mounted the funeral pyre beside the bull among men.

1.117.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: After performing the final purificatory rites for Pāṇḍu, the god-like great seers and ascetics assembled and took counsel.

1.117.2 'That great-souled one of great austerity, abandoning kingdom and realm, came to this place seeking refuge among ascetics to practice tapas.'

1.117.3 'King Pāṇḍu, having entrusted his newborn sons and his wives here to your care as a trust, has departed from this place to heaven.'

1.117.4 Taking leave of one another, those devoted to the welfare of all beings, placing Pāṇḍu's sons at their head, resolved to go to the city named for the elephant—Hāstinapura.

1.117.5 Those noble-minded perfected ones set their minds on the journey, intending to deliver the Pāṇḍavas to Bhīṣma and to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.117.6 At that very moment all the ascetics set out, taking with them Pāṇḍu's wives, his sons, and also his body.

1.117.7 She who had once been happy, always tender toward her children, though she had undertaken a long journey, felt it as brief.

1.117.8 In no great time that glorious one reached the Kuru countryside and arrived at the gate of the city of Vardhamāna.

1.117.9 Hearing of the arrival of thousands of wandering bards and sages at that time, the people of Nāgapura were filled with wonder.

1.117.10 As the sun rose a short while later, all the city's residents, placing dharma foremost, went out with their wives to see the ascetics.

1.117.11 Groups of women and groups of Kṣatriyas mounted on conveyances went out together with Brahmins, and the wives of Brahmins as well.

1.117.12 Likewise there was a great mingling of groups of Vaiśyas and Śūdras; no one acted with jealousy—they all came with minds turned to dharma.

1.117.13 So too Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu, and Somadatta, and Bāhlika, the royal sage who sees with the eyes of wisdom, and the charioteer's son Vidura himself.

1.117.14 And the goddess Satyavatī, and the glorious Kausalyā, and Gāndhārī surrounded by the royal women—all went out.

1.117.15 The heirs of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, led by Duryodhana, adorned with varied ornaments, went out numbering a hundred.

1.117.16 All the Kauravas, bowing their heads in salutation to all those groups of great seers, sat down near them together with their priests.

1.117.17 In the same way all the city folk and country people bowed their heads to the ground in reverence and sat down nearby.

1.117.18 Perceiving that multitude of people to be silent, as if mute, Bhīṣma then reported to the great seers the state of the kingdom and the realm.

1.117.19 Then the eldest among them, wearing matted locks and a deerskin, rose up, and discerning the mind of the great seers, that great seer spoke thus.

1.117.20 'He who was the Kaurava heir, the lord of men named Pāṇḍu, renouncing pleasures and enjoyments, departed from here to Śataśṛṅga.'

1.117.21 'While he abided in the vow of celibacy, by a divine cause, Yudhiṣṭhira, this son of his, was born directly from Dharma himself.'

1.117.22 'Likewise, to that great-souled king, Mātariśvan—the Wind—gave this son Bhīma by name, foremost of the strong and of great might.'

1.117.23 'This one of true valor was born to Kuntī from Indra, the lord of many; his glory will surpass all great archers.'

1.117.24 'And these two great archers, the best of Kurus and tigers among men, whom Mādrī bore from the Aśvins—they too stand here.'

1.117.25 'By the glorious Pāṇḍu who dwelt in the forest, ever constant in dharma, this ancestral lineage has been raised up once more.'

1.117.26 'As Pāṇḍu watched the birth, the growth, and the Vedic studies of his sons, his joy grew ever and always.'

1.117.27 'Abiding in the conduct of the good, having attained the gift of sons, Pāṇḍu departed from here to the world of the ancestors on the seventeenth day.'

1.117.28 'Learning that he had been placed on the funeral pyre and offered to Vaiśvānara, Mādrī entered the fire, abandoning her own life.'

1.117.29 'She has gone, devoted, to the world of her husband along with him. Let whatever rites are due for them both be performed forthwith.'

1.117.30 'Here are their two bodies, and here are their noble sons, scorchers of foes—let them be honored with the rites together with their mother.'

1.117.31 'And when the funeral rites are completed, let Pāṇḍu of great glory, the upholder of the Kuru house, who knows all dharma, receive the ancestral offering.'

1.117.32 Having spoken thus to all the Kurus, while the Kurus themselves watched, all the wandering bards together with the Guhyakas vanished in an instant.

1.117.33 Seeing that assembly of seers and perfected ones vanish right there like a city of the Gandharvas, they were overcome with supreme wonder.

1.118.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: 'O Vidura, have all the funeral rites performed for Pāṇḍu in a manner befitting a king, for the lion among kings, and especially for Mādrī as well.'

1.118.2 'Distribute cattle, garments, jewels, and various wealth for Pāṇḍu and Mādrī—to whosoever wishes, as much as they desire.'

1.118.3 'Arrange also that Kuntī performs honor to Mādrī's rites; see that she is well-protected so that neither the wind nor the sun may look upon her.'

1.118.4 'Sinless Pāṇḍu is not to be mourned; that lord of men is praiseworthy—five heroic sons equal to sons of the gods have been born to him.'

1.118.5 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Vidura, having said 'so be it' to him, O Bhārata, together with Bhīṣma, performed the funerary consecration for Pāṇḍu in a most secluded spot.

1.118.6 Then from the city, blazing fires preceded by oblations of clarified butter were swiftly brought out by Pāṇḍu's royal priests.

1.118.7 Then they adorned the bier with seasonal fragrances and various choice garlands, covering it all over with cloth.

1.118.8 The ministers, kinsmen, and friends attended upon that bier thus adorned with garlands and with the most precious garments.

1.118.9 They bore that lion among men, well-covered, together with Mādrī, on the finest of vehicles, drawn by horses and supremely adorned.

1.118.10 They then honored him with a white royal parasol, with fans of chowrie, and with the sound of all manner of musical instruments.

1.118.11 Men, taking up gems by the hundreds, distributed there the post-mortem offerings of Pāṇḍu to all who desired them.

1.118.12 Then they brought white, bright, and large parasols for the sake of the Kaurava, as well as beautiful garments.

1.118.13 Sacrificial fires, blazing and well-adorned, tended by officiating priests clad in white, went before him while oblations were poured.

1.118.14 Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras by the thousands, weeping and burning with grief, followed the lord of men.

1.118.15 "This lord of men, our greatest protector, having abandoned us and cast us into perpetual sorrow, having left us without a guardian — where will he go?"

1.118.16 All the Pāṇḍavas, Bhīṣma, and Vidura, weeping aloud, came to a charming spot in the forest, on the even, auspicious bank of the Gaṅgā.

1.118.17 Those truth-speaking men then set down that palanquin bearing the lion among men, Pāṇḍu of untiring deeds, together with his wife.

1.118.18 Then they quickly sprinkled his body — which had been treated with all fragrances, anointed with pure kālīyaka paste and the like, and consecrated with the finest ritual bath — with water from golden vessels.

1.118.19 They anointed him with the finest white sandalwood paste, mixed with black aloe-wood and with tuṅgarasa.

1.118.20 Then they dressed him in pure white garments of local fabric; covered in robes, that bull among men — that tiger among men, accustomed to the most precious of beds — shone as though still alive.

1.118.21 Authorised by the officiating priests who had completed the funerary rites, they prepared the king — well-adorned and sprinkled with clarified butter — together with Mādrī.

1.118.22 They cremated them with fragrant sandalwood mixed with tuṅga and padmaka, and with many other various perfumes in great abundance.

1.118.23 Then, seeing those two bodies, Kausalyā was overwhelmed with bewilderment and fell suddenly to the earth, crying "Ah! my son!"

1.118.24 Seeing her fallen and afflicted, all the people of the city and the countryside wept aloud, filled with compassion and devotion to the king.

1.118.25 All creatures, even those born in the animal kingdom, cried out together with the humans, as though wearied by the clamor of distress.

1.118.26 So too did Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu, the great-minded Vidura, and all the Kauravas weep, deeply overwhelmed with grief.

1.118.27 Then Bhīṣma, Vidura, the king along with his kinsmen, and all the women of the Kuru clan performed the water-libation rite for him.

1.118.28 O king, taking those Pāṇḍavas who had performed the water rites and were emaciated with grief, all the subjects surrounded them, themselves lamenting.

1.118.29 Just as the Pāṇḍavas lay down on the ground together with their kinsmen, so too did the citizens — brāhmaṇas and others — lie down in the same way, O king.

1.118.30 Together with the Pāṇḍavas, the city remained joyless, uneasy, downcast even to its children, and desolate for twelve nights.

1.119.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Kṣattā (Vidura), the king, and Bhīṣma, together with their kinsmen, performed the śrāddha rite for Pāṇḍu, replete with the nectar of the ancestral offering.

1.119.2 They fed the Kurus and the foremost brāhmaṇas by the thousands, and gave floods of gems to the chief twice-born, as well as choice villages.

1.119.3 Then, after the purification rites were completed, the citizens took those Pāṇḍavas — the bulls of the Bhārata line — and returned to the city named after the elephant.

1.119.4 All the people of the city and countryside continually mourned that bull of the Bhārata line as though he were their own dead kinsman.

1.119.5 At the conclusion of the śrāddha, seeing the people so afflicted, bewildered, tormented by pain and grief, Vyāsa spoke to his mother.

1.119.6 "The times of happiness have passed away; dreadful times have arrived. Day by day the days grow worse; the earth has lost its youth.

1.119.7 A terrible age is coming, filled with many deceits, overwhelmed with manifold faults, its righteous practices and customs vanished.

1.119.8 Go, take to renunciation, and dwell composed in the forest of austerity — you will not then behold the terrible destruction of this lineage with your own eyes."

1.119.9 She agreed with "So be it," then went in and spoke to her daughter-in-law: "O Ambikā, we have heard that on account of your son's misrule the Bhāratas along with their dependants — and even the grandchildren — will perish."

1.119.10 "Therefore, taking this afflicted Kausalyā who is tormented by grief for her son, we two will go to the forest — if you agree. May it be well with you."

1.119.11 When Ambikā said "So be it," Satyavatī of noble vows took leave of Bhīṣma and went to the forest together with her two daughters-in-law, O Bhārata.

1.119.12 Those divine women performed exceedingly severe austerities, O best of the Bhāratas, and then, O great king, casting off their bodies, attained the desired state.

1.119.13 The Pāṇḍavas then received the sacraments ordained in the Vedas and grew up enjoying their pleasures in their father's house.

1.119.14 Playing together with the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra in their father's house, the Pāṇḍavas proved superior in all childish games.

1.119.15 In speed, in hitting targets, in eating, and in rolling in the dust, Bhīmasena overpowered all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.119.16 With great delight that Pāṇḍava would seize them as they played, in the game of hide-and-seek, and holding them by their heads he would force them to fight.

1.119.17 Vṛkodara alone would crush all one hundred and one of those princes of great energy without very much difficulty.

1.119.18 That powerful one would seize them by the feet, beat them down by force, and drag them screaming along the ground until their knees, heads, and eyes were scraped raw.

1.119.19 While playing in the water he would clasp ten boys in his arms at once, remain submerged, and release them only when they were nearly dead.

1.119.20 Whenever they climbed a tree to gather fruit, Bhīma would shake the tree with a kick of his foot.

1.119.21 Struck by the force of the blow, the tree would whirl around, and the boys would quickly tumble down from it together with the fruit, falling loose.

1.119.22 In wrestling, in speed, or in any exercise, those princes who competed with Vṛkodara never once got the better of him.

1.119.23 Though Vṛkodara thus continually competed with the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and kept them in a state of misery, it was entirely out of boyish spirit and not from any treacherous intent.

1.119.24 Then the mighty-spirited son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, knowing Bhīmasena's exceedingly renowned strength, revealed his wicked disposition.

1.119.25 In that one who had strayed from righteousness, surveying all manner of sins, a wicked mind arose out of delusion and greed for lordship.

1.119.26 "This Vṛkodara, son of Kuntī, the middle of the Pāṇḍu-sons, the foremost among the mighty — let him be slain by treachery."

1.119.27 "And then, having forcibly bound the younger and the eldest — Yudhiṣṭhira — in chains, I shall rule the earth."

1.119.28 Having thus resolved upon this wicked plan, Duryodhana from that time constantly watched for an opportunity against the great-souled Bhīma.

1.119.29 Then he had built large and variously adorned tents and pavilions of cloth and blankets for the purpose of water-sports, O Bhārata.

1.119.30 Reaching a certain spot of ground at Pramāṇakoṭi, at the end of their sports all of them, clad in clean garments and well-adorned, leisurely enjoyed food rich in every delight.

1.119.31 At the day's end, those heroes — the upholders of the Kuru line — were thoroughly fatigued from their revels and were pleased to take their rest in the very pavilions of sport.

1.119.32 But the powerful Bhīma, that lord, exceedingly exhausted from his exertions, having carried those princes who had come for water-sports, climbed up that ground at Pramāṇakoṭi wishing to sleep there and fell fast asleep.

1.119.33 Finding a cool resting place, weary and befuddled with intoxication, that Pāṇḍava lay motionless, O king, and slept as though dead.

1.119.34 Then Duryodhana quietly bound Bhīma with bonds of creepers and hurled him — deep water and terrifying force notwithstanding — from the land into the river.

1.119.35 Then Bhīma, that foremost of strikers, the son of Kuntī, awoke, cut through all his bonds, and rose up out of the water.

1.119.36 Again, while he slept, Duryodhana had him bitten on every vital point of his body by enraged serpents with sharp fangs and terrible venom.

1.119.37 Yet the fangs of those venomous creatures, though driven into his vital spots, could not pierce his skin, because of the hardness of that broad-chested man's body.

1.119.38 But when Bhīma awoke he beat down all those serpents and with the back of his hand struck down Duryodhana's beloved charioteer.

1.119.39 Again Duryodhana introduced poison into Bhīmasena's food — fresh, potent kālakūṭa venom, collected and hair-raising in its power.

1.119.40 A vaiśya's son informed the Pārthas of it out of desire for their welfare; yet even having eaten that, Vṛkodara digested it without any adverse effect.

1.119.41 For that poison, however intensely sharp, produced no disorder in him; Bhīma, of terrible bodily constitution, digested even that.

1.119.42 Thus Duryodhana, Karṇa, and Śakuni son of Subala sought to kill the Pāṇḍavas by many stratagems.

1.119.43 And the Pāṇḍavas, those tamers of enemies, were fully aware of all that, yet made no show of it, abiding by Vidura's counsel.

1.120.1 Janamejaya said: O great brāhmaṇa, you should also tell the birth of Kṛpa — how was he born from a clump of reeds, and how did he obtain mastery of weapons?

1.120.2 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: O great king, the great sage Gautama had a son named Śaradvān — born, it is said, together with arrows, O lord.

1.120.3 His mind did not incline to the study of the Vedas as it inclined toward the science of archery, O scorcher of foes.

1.120.4 Just as the speakers of Brahman master the Vedas through austerity, so he, endowed with austerity, mastered all weapons.

1.120.5 Through his supreme devotion to the science of archery and through his vast austerities, that Gautama greatly alarmed the king of the gods.

1.120.6 Then the lord of the gods sent a celestial maiden named Jālapadī, saying "Create an obstacle to his austerity," O Kaurava.

1.120.7 She approached the charming hermitage of Śaradvat and that young woman, finding Gautama with bow and arrows in hand, enticed him with desire.

1.120.8 Seeing that apsarā in the forest, clad in a single garment, of incomparable form in all the world, Gautama's eyes opened wide.

1.120.9 His bow and arrows fell from his hands to the ground, and seeing her a trembling arose in his body.

1.120.10 But that great sage, by reason of the excellence of his knowledge and in consequence of his austerity, stood firm with the utmost steadiness.

1.120.11 Yet, O king, the agitation that suddenly overcame him caused his seed to flow out, and he did not perceive it.

1.120.12 That sage, abandoning both that hermitage and the apsarā, departed; and his seed fell upon a clump of reeds.

1.120.13 Having fallen upon the clump of reeds it divided into two, O king, and from that was born a twin pair — the offspring of Gautama Śaradvat.

1.120.14 While king Śaṃtanu was out on a hunt, a certain soldier of his army happened to see that twin pair in the forest.

1.120.15 Seeing the bow with arrows and the black antelope skins, and judging the twins to be the offspring of a brāhmaṇa fully versed in the science of archery, he brought and showed the armed twin pair to the king.

1.120.16 Taking that pair, the king, filled with compassion, came home saying, "These are my children."

1.120.17 Then he raised them and performed all their sacraments; and Gautama himself, returning at that time, became devoted to the science of archery.

1.120.18 "It is out of compassion (kṛpā) that I have raised these two children" — so saying, the king gave them that very name.

1.120.19 Gautama found those two who had been abandoned there through his ascetic power, and coming to the king, he then disclosed to him their lineage and all else.

1.120.20 He then fully disclosed to him the fourfold science of archery and all the various weapons with their secrets; and in no great time the king attained the highest rank of mastership.

1.120.21 Thereafter all those great warriors came to study the science of archery — the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the mighty Pāṇḍavas, the Vṛṣṇis, and other kings assembled from many regions.

1.121.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Bhīṣma, desiring excellence for his grandsons and wishing them to be disciplined, inquired after teachers well-versed in archery and respected for their valour.

1.121.2 One of small intellect, or of no great good fortune, or not versed in the many weapons, or not equal to the gods — such a one could not train the mighty Kurus in the art of arms.

1.121.3 Now the great sage Bharadvāja, wandering long ago at the sacrificial fire-hall, beheld with his own eyes the apsarā Ghṛtācī bathing.

1.121.4 A gust of wind swept away her garment; thereupon his seed fell, and the sage received it in a vessel called droṇa.

1.121.5 In that vessel was born Droṇa, the son of that wise sage; and he studied the Vedas and all the Vedic ancillary sciences fully.

1.121.6 The glorious and mighty Bharadvāja, best of those who uphold dharma, taught the highly blessed Agniveśya the Āgneya weapon.

1.121.7 That sage, born of Agniṣṭut, O best of the Bhāratas, then in turn transmitted that great Āgneya weapon of Bharadvāja's line to Droṇa.

1.121.8 There was a king named Pṛṣata who was a friend of Bharadvāja; his son was then born, named Drupada.

1.121.9 That son of Pṛṣata, bull among kṣatriyas, used to go regularly to the hermitage and played and studied there together with Droṇa.

1.121.10 Then, upon Pṛṣata's death, that long-armed man, Drupada, became king and lord of the Pāñcālas of the northern region.

1.121.11 The blessed Bharadvāja too ascended to heaven at that time; then Droṇa, of great renown, his mind directed by his father's wishes and longing for a son, found Kṛpī, daughter of Śaradvan, as his wife.

1.121.12 She who was ever devoted to the sacred fire, to dharma, and to self-restraint — Gautamī — gave birth to a son named Aśvatthāman.

1.121.13 The moment he was born he neighed just like the horse Uccaiḥśravas; hearing that, an invisible being standing in the sky spoke.

1.121.14 "The sound of this boy crying has spread in all directions like the neighing of a horse (aśva); therefore this child shall bear the name Aśvatthāman."

1.121.15 Bharadvāja's son was greatly delighted with that son; and the wise man, dwelling there, became profoundly versed in the science of archery.

1.121.16 He then heard, O king, that the great-souled Jāmadagnya, the scorcher of foes, was at that time distributing all his wealth to the brahmins.

1.121.17 As Rāma was setting out for the forest, Bharadvāja's son Droṇa addressed him: "Know that I, Droṇa, best of twice-born, have come desiring wealth."

1.121.18 Rāma said: Whatever gold and other wealth I possessed has all been given away to the brahmins, O ascetic.

1.121.19 Likewise this goddess Earth, bounded by the oceans, adorned with cities and towns in her entirety, has been given by me to Kaśyapa.

1.121.20 Only my body remains to me now, and my precious weapons and various arms. Choose — what shall I give you, Droṇa? Tell me quickly.

1.121.21 Droṇa said: You should give me all the weapons in their entirety, O Bhārgava, together with the means of recalling them and their applications and secrets, withholding nothing.

1.121.22 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Saying "So be it," the Bhārgava then gave him all the weapons along with their secret rites and the entire science of archery.

1.121.23 Having received all of this, that best of twice-born, now accomplished in the use of weapons, set out with great joy toward his dear friend Drupada.

1.122.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Droṇa, the mighty son of Bharadvāja, approached Drupada and said to that son of Pṛṣata: "Know me as your friend, O king."

1.122.2 Drupada said: This reasoning of yours is ill-conceived, O brahmin, not well-founded — that you say to me boldly, "I am your friend," O twice-born.

1.122.3 With men of your condition — bereft of royal splendour and fallen from wealth — exalted kings never anywhere form friendships, O slow-witted one.

1.122.4 Even bonds of affection decay in time as all things decay; the friendship you and I had before was based on the equality of our circumstances.

1.122.5 Friendship that does not age is never to be seen anywhere in the world; desire destroys it and anger tears it asunder.

1.122.6 Do not come here clinging to that old friendship; seek a new one. The friendship between you and me, O best of twice-born, was grounded in our equal standing.

1.122.7 A poor man is not the friend of a wealthy one; the ignorant man is not the friend of the learned; a coward is not the friend of a hero. What is mere former friendship worth?

1.122.8 Friendship and marriage exist between those of equal wealth and equal lineage, not between the prosperous and the destitute.

1.122.9 One ignorant of the Vedas is not the friend of a Vedic scholar; a man without a chariot is not the friend of a chariot-warrior; one who is not a king is not the equal companion of a king. What is past friendship worth?

1.122.10 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by Drupada, the mighty Bharadvāja's son reflected for a moment, overwhelmed with anger.

1.122.11 Having resolved in his mind regarding Pāñcāla, that wise man went to the city of the foremost Kurus, the city named Nāgasāhvaya (Hāstinapura).

1.122.12 Then the princes, having gone out together from Gajasāhvaya, were joyfully roaming about there, those heroes playing with a ball.

1.122.13 As they played, that ball fell into a well, and they could find no means to recover the ball.

1.122.14 Then Droṇa, seeing those princes at a loss, smiled gently and spoke to them out of his skill and confidence.

1.122.15 "Shame on kṣatriya strength! Shame on your claimed training in arms — born in the lineage of Bharata, yet you cannot retrieve a ball!"

1.122.16 "Here is a handful of reeds consecrated by me with a weapon-spell; observe the power of this which no other possesses."

1.122.17 "I shall pierce the ball with one reed, then that reed with another, and by joining them together I shall retrieve the ball — that is my method."

1.122.18 The princes watched this with eyes wide with amazement; and having seen the ball retrieved, they addressed the one who had pierced it.

1.122.19 "We bow to you, O brahmin! This skill is found in no other. Who are you? How shall we know you? And what shall we do for you?"

1.122.20 Droṇa said: Describe me to Bhīṣma by my appearance and my qualities; he alone, of great intelligence, will understand at once who I am.

1.122.21 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Saying "So be it," they all went to their grandfather Bhīṣma and reported the brahmin's words along with that remarkable deed.

1.122.22 Bhīṣma, hearing the princes' account, recognized that it was Droṇa, reflecting: "He is indeed the fitting teacher."

1.122.23 Then Bhīṣma, best of weapon-bearers, having brought him and honoured him well himself, questioned him carefully about his purpose in coming; and Droṇa disclosed everything.

1.122.24 "O Acyuta, I formerly went to the great sage Agniveśya desiring to acquire weapons and wishing to master the science of archery."

1.122.25 "As a celibate student, with controlled mind, with matted hair, I dwelt there for many years with the desire to master the science of archery."

1.122.26 "The mighty prince of the Pāñcālas, Yajñasena's son, also studied the same learning under the same teacher alongside me, striving and concentrated."

1.122.27 "He was my friend there, helpful and dear to me; delighting long in his company, O descendant of Kuru, we had been studying together from childhood indeed."

1.122.28 "That one, kind in deed and kind in word, approached me there and said to me, O Bhīṣma, words that increased my joy."

1.122.29 "'I am the dearest son to my great-souled father, O Droṇa; when that Pāñcāla king consecrates me in his kingdom —'"

1.122.30 "'— the kingdom shall be yours to enjoy, my friend; I swear it to you by truth: my pleasures, my wealth, and my happiness shall all be at your disposal.'"

1.122.31 "Thus assured, I set forth, having mastered the weapons, desirous of wealth; and hearing that he had been consecrated, I thought: 'My purpose is achieved.'"

1.122.32 "Full of joy, I came again to my dear friend who now held a kingdom, remembering our fellowship and those very words of his."

1.122.33 "Then, approaching Drupada and invoking our old friendship, I said to him, O lord, O tiger among men: 'Know me as your friend.'"

1.122.34 "But Drupada, though I had come to him as a friend and greeted him as one, seemed to dismiss me and laughingly said this:"

1.122.35 "'This thinking of yours is ill-formed, O brahmin, not well-founded — that you say to me boldly, "I am your friend," O twice-born.'"

1.122.36 "'Exalted kings never form friendships anywhere with men of your condition — bereft of royal splendour, fallen from wealth, O slow-witted one.'"

1.122.37 "'One ignorant of the Vedas is not the friend of a Vedic scholar; one without a chariot is not the friend of a chariot-warrior; a non-king is not the friend of a king. What is past friendship worth?'"

1.122.38 "Thus addressed by Drupada, overwhelmed with anger, I have come to the Kurus, O Bhīṣma, seeking worthy students endowed with noble qualities."

1.122.39 Bhīṣma accepted that teacher along with the sons of Pāṇḍu, bringing all his grandsons together with various precious gifts.

1.122.40 He gave them as pupils to Droṇa according to proper rites, O king; and that great archer accepted the Kauravas as his students.

1.122.41 Having accepted all of them, Droṇa spoke privately, alone, to those who had duly performed the rite of approaching a teacher, his heart at ease.

1.122.42 "There is a certain desired task that revolves in my heart; once you are accomplished in weapons, it must be rendered to me — speak truth about that, O sinless ones."

1.122.43 Hearing this, the descendants of Kuru fell silent, O lord of people; but Arjuna, the scorcher of foes, then pledged to do everything.

1.122.44 Then Droṇa smelled Arjuna's head again and again, embraced him with affection, and wept with joy.

1.122.45 Then mighty Droṇa proceeded to instruct the sons of Pāṇḍu in all the various weapons — both divine and human.

1.122.46 Other princes likewise came together, O bull of the Bhāratas, and approached that best of twice-born, Droṇa, for instruction in weapons — the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas and kings from many lands.

1.122.47 And the son of the sūta, Rādheya, also came to the teacher Droṇa at that time; but that son of a sūta, extremely intolerant, rivalling Pārtha, took shelter with Duryodhana and held the Pāṇḍavas in contempt.

1.123.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: But Arjuna exerted the utmost effort in revering the teacher and applied himself supremely to the weapons; he became the beloved of Droṇa.

1.123.2 Droṇa summoned the one who prepared food and said to him privately: "You are never, under any circumstances, to serve food to Arjuna in the dark."

1.123.3 Then one day while Arjuna was eating, the wind blew and the burning lamp was extinguished by it.

1.123.4 Yet Arjuna went on eating his food; his glorious hand did not falter, always finding the food by force of habit. Recognizing this as the product of constant practice, the son of Pāṇḍu then practised archery by night.

1.123.5 Droṇa heard the twang of his bowstring in the night, O Bhārata; approaching him, he rose, embraced him, and spoke thus.

1.123.6 "I shall strive to make it so that no other archer in the world shall be your equal — this I tell you in truth."

1.123.7 Thereafter Droṇa further instructed Arjuna in the science of battle — on chariots, on elephants, on horses, and on foot.

1.123.8 Droṇa trained the Pāṇḍava in mace-fighting, in swordsmanship, and in the use of the javelin, lance, and spear, as well as in mixed forms of combat.

1.123.9 Witnessing his skill, kings and princes eager to acquire the science of archery came in their thousands.

1.123.10 Then, O great king, the son of the Niṣāda king Hiraṇyadhanus — Ekalavya — also came to Droṇa.

1.123.11 The dharma-knowing Droṇa did not accept him, thinking "he is a Niṣāda," and out of regard for the welfare of his own students in archery.

1.123.12 That scorcher of foes then clasped Droṇa's feet with bowed head, entered the forest, and fashioned a clay image of Droṇa.

1.123.13 Conducting himself toward that image as if toward his teacher, he applied himself with supreme discipline to the yoga of archery, following the strictest vows.

1.123.14 Endowed with supreme faith and supreme concentrated effort, he attained the highest swiftness in the release, receipt, and nocking of arrows.

1.123.15 One day, with Droṇa's permission, all those crusher-of-enemies, the Kuru and Pāṇḍava princes, rode out in their chariots on a hunt.

1.123.16 O king, some servant happened to follow the Pāṇḍavas alone with the equipment, bringing with him a dog.

1.123.17 As they roamed there seeking their various quarries, the dog, wandering foolishly through the forest, strayed toward the Niṣāda youth.

1.123.18 The dog, catching sight of the Niṣāda in the forest — his limbs smeared with dark mud, wearing a dark deerskin — began barking and stood close by him.

1.123.19 Then, displaying his lightness of hand in archery, he simultaneously shot seven arrows into the barking dog's mouth.

1.123.20 The dog, with its mouth filled with arrows, came back to the Pāṇḍavas; seeing it, the heroic Pāṇḍavas were filled with the greatest wonder.

1.123.21 Witnessing that supreme swiftness and the striking of a target by sound alone, they felt both ashamed and universally praised the feat.

1.123.22 Searching for him in the forest, O king, the Pāṇḍavas found that forest-dweller ceaselessly shooting arrows.

1.123.23 They did not recognise him, his appearance being so altered; then they asked him: "Who are you, and whose son?"

1.123.24 Ekalavya said: "O heroes, know me as the son of the Niṣāda king Hiraṇyadhanus, a disciple of Droṇa who has laboured in the science of archery."

1.123.25 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having truly ascertained who he was, the Pāṇḍavas returned and reported everything that had happened — the whole wonderful occurrence — to Droṇa.

1.123.26 O king, the son of Kuntī, Arjuna, keeping Ekalavya in mind, privately approached Droṇa and said affectionately:

1.123.27 "Did you not embrace me alone and, with affection, declare: 'No disciple of mine shall surpass you'?"

1.123.28 "Then why does another disciple of yours exist who surpasses me and is mighty even by the world's reckoning — the son of the Niṣāda king?"

1.123.29 Having deliberated and resolved for a brief moment, Droṇa took Savyasācin with him and went toward the Niṣāda youth.

1.123.30 He saw Ekalavya — limbs smeared with mud, wearing matted hair and bark garments, bow in hand — ceaselessly shooting arrows.

1.123.31 Ekalavya, seeing Droṇa approaching near, went forward to meet him, clasped his feet, and touched the earth with his head.

1.123.32 Having honoured Droṇa duly, the son of the Niṣāda, declaring himself a disciple, stood before him with palms joined.

1.123.33 O king, Droṇa then said to Ekalavya: "If you are indeed my disciple, let my fee be paid at once."

1.123.34 Hearing this, Ekalavya replied with joy: "What shall I give, O venerable one? Let the teacher command me."

1.123.35 "For there is nothing I cannot give to my teacher" — and to him Droṇa said: "Let your right thumb be given to me."

1.123.36 Ekalavya, having heard that terrible word of Droṇa, honouring his own vow and ever devoted to truth —

1.123.37 — with the same cheerful face and the same undepressed heart, cut off without hesitation and gave Droṇa his own thumb.

1.123.38 After that, the Niṣāda youth drew the bow with his remaining fingers, but he was no longer as swift as before, O lord of men.

1.123.39 Thereupon Arjuna's heart was gladdened and his anxiety gone; and Droṇa was true to his word — no other surpassed Arjuna.

1.123.40 Among Droṇa's disciples at that time, Duryodhana and Bhīma especially excelled in mace-fighting among the Kurus.

1.123.41 Aśvatthāmā surpassed all others in secret and esoteric knowledge; the twin sons of Mādrī exceeded other men similarly; Yudhiṣṭhira was foremost among chariot fighters; but Dhanañjaya was supreme in all respects.

1.123.42 That Pāṇḍava became famous to the ends of the sea as the leader of chariot-leaders, excelling in intellect, discipline, strength, and ardour, and in all weapons.

1.123.43 Arjuna was distinguished in weapons and in affection for his teacher; though instruction in arms was equal for all, in grace and valour Arjuna alone among all the princes became an atiratha — a warrior beyond peers.

1.123.44 O lord of men, the evil-souled sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra could not tolerate Bhīmasena, dearer than life itself, nor the accomplished Dhanañjaya.

1.123.45 Wishing to test all of them, who had completed every branch of learning, in the knowledge of striking, O bull among men, Droṇa assembled them all.

1.123.46 He had craftsmen place an artificial bird made by artisans atop a tree, unknown to the princes, and set it as the target.

1.123.47 Droṇa said: "Quickly, all of you take your bows with haste; stand with arrows nocked, aiming at this bird."

1.123.48 "The instant I give the word, let its head be struck off — I will engage you one by one; do so, my sons."

1.123.49 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The best of the Āṅgirasa lineage then first addressed Yudhiṣṭhira: "O invincible one, nock your arrow and release it at the end of my word."

1.123.50 Then Yudhiṣṭhira, taking up his great bow first, stood aiming at the bird, spurred by his teacher's command.

1.123.51 After a moment, Droṇa spoke this word, O bull of the Bhāratas, to that joy of the Kurus standing with bow drawn:

1.123.52 "Do you see that bird perched at the treetop, O son of the best of men?" "I see it," Yudhiṣṭhira replied to his teacher.

1.123.53 After another moment Droṇa asked him again: "Do you see this tree, or me, or your brothers?"

1.123.54 The son of Kuntī replied to him: "I see this tree, and you, and my brothers, and the bird" — again and again.

1.123.55 Droṇa, as if displeased, told him to step aside, censuring him: "You are not capable of hitting this target."

1.123.56 Then the greatly renowned Droṇa, wishing to test them in the same order, questioned those sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra headed by Duryodhana.

1.123.57 And the other disciples — beginning with Bhīma — and the kings from other lands; all of them said "we see all of that" and were rebuked.

1.123.58 Then Droṇa, smiling, addressed Dhanañjaya: "Now you are to strike this target — listen well."

1.123.59 "The instant my word falls, the arrow is to be released. Draw your bow, my son, and wait just a moment."

1.123.60 So addressed, Savyasācin stood with his bow bent in a circle, aiming at the target, urged on by his teacher's word.

1.123.61 After a moment Droṇa asked him in the same way: "Do you see that bird perched there, and the tree, and me?"

1.123.62 "I see the bird" — so Pārtha replied to Droṇa — "but I do not see the tree, nor you, O Bhārata."

1.123.63 Then Droṇa, with a gladdened heart, after a moment again addressed that invincible bull among the Pāṇḍava chariot warriors.

1.123.64 "If you see the bird, tell me again." He replied: "I see the head of the bird — not its body."

1.123.65 Hearing Arjuna say this, Droṇa felt his body hair rise with joy and said to Pārtha: "Release!" — and he released without hesitation.

1.123.66 Then with a sharp razor-headed arrow, the Pāṇḍava swiftly cut off the head of that tree-perched bird and sent it falling.

1.123.67 When that deed was accomplished, Droṇa embraced Phalguna and considered Drupada as already defeated in battle along with his allies.

1.123.68 Some time after, the best of the Āṅgirasa line went with all his disciples to the Gaṅgā to bathe, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.123.69 While Droṇa plunged into the water, a powerful aquatic creature — a crocodile — urged on by fate, seized him by the thigh.

1.123.70 Though capable of freeing himself, he urged all his disciples: "Kill the crocodile and free me!" — almost as if spurring them on as a test.

1.123.71 At the very instant of his word, Bībhatsu (Arjuna) struck the submerged crocodile with five sharp arrows in quick succession, while the others were bewildered and scattered this way and that.

1.123.72 Seeing him so capable in action, Droṇa judged that Pāṇḍava superior to all his other disciples and was filled with joy.

1.123.73 That crocodile, struck by Pārtha's arrows in many ways and cut to pieces, met its death, releasing the limb of the great-souled Droṇa.

1.123.74 Then the son of Bharadvāja said to that great-souled, mighty chariot warrior: "Receive this weapon, O mighty-armed one — the most excellent and supremely difficult to counter: named Brahmasira, complete with the method of its use and recall."

1.123.75 "You must never employ this against human beings under any circumstance — if unleashed upon one of little power, it would incinerate the world."

1.123.76 "This weapon, dear one, is called without equal in the worlds; keep it with the utmost care and with purity — hear this word of mine."

1.123.77 "When some superhuman enemy oppresses you, O hero, you may use this weapon in battle to slay him then."

1.123.78 "So be it" — having agreed, Bībhatsu with joined palms accepted that supreme weapon; and his teacher said to him again: "There shall be no other man in the world equal to you as an archer."

1.124.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having seen both the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the sons of Pāṇḍu fully trained in arms, O Bhārata, Droṇa spoke to king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lord of men.

1.124.2 In the presence of Kṛpa, Somadatta, the wise Bāhlika, Gaṅgā's son Bhīṣma, Vyāsa, and Vidura —

1.124.3 — "O king, those princes have now fully acquired their learning, O best of Kurus; let them, with your permission, O king, display their training."

1.124.4 The great king then replied, his inner self filled with joy: "O son of Bharadvāja, a great deed has been accomplished by you, O best of twice-born."

1.124.5 "Whenever you think the time is right, and in whatever place and in whatever manner — command me yourself to make the arrangements accordingly."

1.124.6 "I am filled today with a longing, free from all despair, to see with my own eyes those sons of mine who have advanced through their mastery of arms — as others with eyes shall see them."

1.124.7 O Kṣattṛ, whatever the preceptor and teacher commands, carry it out accordingly; I think there will be no joy equal to this, O cherisher of dharma.

1.124.8 Then, taking leave of the king and accompanied by Vidura, the supremely wise son of Bharadvāja went outside and measured out a level ground, free of trees and shrubs, situated near a slope with access to water.

1.124.9 On that ground, on a lunar day when the asterism was auspicious and was duly worshipped, he performed the consecrating oblation; and a proclamation was also announced throughout the city for that purpose, O best of speakers.

1.124.10 On the tournament ground, craftsmen duly constructed a very spacious arena in accordance with the prescriptions of the treatises, well appointed and equipped with all weapons for the king and the ladies as well, O bull among men.

1.124.11 The people of the countryside also had great platforms raised there, broad and lofty, as well as richly adorned palanquins.

1.124.12 When that day arrived, the king together with his ministers, placing Bhīṣma foremost and Kṛpa the best of teachers beside him,

1.124.13 proceeded to the divine viewing pavilion draped with nets of pearls, adorned with lapis lazuli gems, and fashioned from pure gold.

1.124.14 The illustrious Gāndhārī and Kuntī, O best of the victorious, together with all the royal ladies, their attendants and retinues, ascended the platforms with joy, like the divine women ascending Mount Meru.

1.124.15 The four social orders headed by brahmins and kshatriyas came quickly from the city, eager to witness the weapons-mastery of the princes.

1.124.16 With musical instruments sounding and the eager curiosity of the people, that assembly became agitated at that time like a great ocean.

1.124.17 Then, wearing white garments, with a white sacred thread, white hair, white beard, and anointed with white garlands and unguents,

1.124.18 that teacher entered the middle of the arena together with his son, like the sun with Mars entering a sky bereft of clouds.

1.124.19 He, the best among the mighty, performed the consecrating rites in the proper seasonal manner and had brahmins versed in sacred formulas recite auspicious hymns there.

1.124.20 Immediately after the proclamation of that auspicious day, warriors entered carrying various kinds of weapons and equipment.

1.124.21 Then the mighty bulls of the Bhārata line entered, their armor fastened, their girdles tied, their quivers strapped on, bows in hand.

1.124.22 Those princes of great valor, with Yudhiṣṭhira at their head, in order of seniority, performed feats of arms there that were most wondrous.

1.124.23 Some in the crowd bowed their heads in fear of being struck by arrows; others gazed boldly with astonishment.

1.124.24 They pierced various targets with arrows embellished with their names, shot with skillful dexterity in diverse ways, while being carried swiftly on horses.

1.124.25 Seeing that assembled force of princes there with bows and arrows in hand, arrayed like a city of the gandharvas, those onlookers were struck with wonder.

1.124.26 Hundreds of thousands of men suddenly burst out shouting there, their eyes wide with amazement, "Excellent! Excellent!" O Bhārata.

1.124.27 Having demonstrated their skills repeatedly with the bow, in chariot-driving, on the back of elephants, on the back of horses, and in close combat, those mighty ones,

1.124.28 then again taking sword and shield as combatants, moved through the prescribed sword-paths on all terrains as instructed.

1.124.29 In the use of sword and shield, the spectators there observed in all of them swiftness, elegance of form, beauty, steadiness, and firmness of grip.

1.124.30 Then those two ever-exuberant ones, Suyodhana and Vṛkodara, descended into the arena with maces in hand, like two mountains with a single peak.

1.124.31 Their girdles fastened, those two long-armed heroes, intent on displaying their manhood, roared like two musth elephants competing for a cow in heat.

1.124.32 Those two mighty ones with gleaming maces wheeled through circular maneuvers to the right and to the left, like two bulls of equal strength.

1.124.33 Vidura and the offspring of Pāṇḍu's wife reported all the activities of the princes, the one to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the other to Gāndhārī.

1.125.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: With the king of the Kurus and Bhīma, the foremost of the mighty, both present in the arena, that crowd, whose affections were divided by partiality, became as if split in two.

1.125.2 Loud, swelling cries of men suddenly arose, shouting "Ah, hero, king of the Kurus!" and "Ah, Bhīma!"

1.125.3 Then the wise son of Bharadvāja, seeing the arena resembling a turbulent ocean, spoke to his beloved son Aśvatthāman:

1.125.4 "Restrain these two of great valor, both of whom are trained and ready; let there not be an uproar in the arena arising from Bhīma and Duryodhana."

1.125.5 Then those two, with maces raised and of great momentum, were restrained by the teacher's son, like two oceans churned by the wind at the end of a cosmic age.

1.125.6 Then Droṇa, standing in the arena ground, silencing the orchestra whose sound was like that of a great thunder-cloud, spoke these words:

1.125.7 "Let that Pārtha be seen, who is dearer to me than my own son, the best of all who know the science of weapons, the son of Indra, equal to Indra's younger brother."

1.125.8 At the teacher's word, that youth, having duly performed the benedictory rites, with arm-guard and finger-guard fastened, quiver full, and bow in hand,

1.125.9 wearing his golden armor, Phalguna appeared like a rain-cloud with the sun, with Indra's rainbow, with lightning, and with the evening glow.

1.125.10 Then a great tumultuous uproar arose from the entire arena, and musical instruments with conch shells sounded on all sides.

1.125.11 "This is the glorious son of Kuntī, this is the middle of the Pāṇḍava brothers, this is the son of the great Indra, this is the protector of the Kurus!"

1.125.12 "This is the greatest among those learned in arms, this is the best of those who uphold dharma, and this too among those of good character is the supreme treasure-house of character and knowledge."

1.125.13 Hearing such unequalled words spoken by the spectators in this manner, Kuntī's chest became wet with tears mingled with perspiration.

1.125.14 At that great sound, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the best of men whose hearing was full of it, spoke to Vidura with a joyful heart:

1.125.15 "O Kṣattṛ, what is this very great sound like a churning ocean that has suddenly arisen in the arena, as if rending the vault of heaven?"

1.125.16 Vidura said: O great king, this is Pārtha Phalguna, the joy of Pāṇḍu, who has descended into the arena with his armor on — this is the source of that very great sound.

1.125.17 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: I am fortunate, I am blessed, I am protected, O greatly wise one, by those three fires of the Pāṇḍavas sprung from the kindling sticks of Pṛthā.

1.125.18 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When the arena had grown noisy and then somehow settled, Bībhatsu displayed his skill with weapons, surpassing even the teacher.

1.125.19 With the Āgneya weapon he created fire; with the Varuṇa weapon he created water; with the Vāyavya weapon he created wind; with the Parjanya weapon he created clouds.

1.125.20 With the Bhauma weapon he sank into the earth; with the Parvata weapon he conjured mountains; and with the weapon of invisibility he vanished from sight once more.

1.125.21 In one moment he was tall, in the next he was short; in one moment he was at the chariot shaft, in the next he stood in the middle of the chariot, and the next instant he alighted on the ground.

1.125.22 He who was dear to his teacher, endowed with perfect form, pierced with various arrows both the delicate and fine targets, and also the heavy ones.

1.125.23 Into the mouth of an iron boar as it revolved, he loosed five arrows in rapid succession without a pause, as if they were a single arrow.

1.125.24 Into a swinging leather ball suspended on a rope, that hero of great valor drove twenty-one arrows.

1.125.25 He who was skilled in weapons thus displayed such great and varied feats with sword, with bow, and with mace.

1.125.26 Then, O Bhārata, when those feats were mostly concluded and the noise of the assembly and the sound of the instruments had died down,

1.125.27 from the direction of the gate arose the sound of slapping arms, indicating great power and prowess, resembling the crash of a thunderbolt.

1.125.28 "Are the mountains splitting? Is the earth cracking open? Is the sky being filled with clouds heavy with rain?"

1.125.29 Such was the sudden thought of the arena, O lord of the earth, and at that moment all the spectators turned toward the gate.

1.125.30 Droṇa, surrounded by the five Pārtha brothers, shone like the moon in the solar constellation attended by five bright stars.

1.125.31 The mighty hundred brothers together with Aśvatthāman encircled the risen Duryodhana, slayer of foes.

1.125.32 He, standing there with mace in hand, surrounded by those brothers with weapons raised and arrayed around him, shone as Indra, the destroyer of cities, once surrounded by the host of gods at the time of the destruction of the demons.

1.126.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Given way by men whose eyes were wide with astonishment, Karṇa, the conqueror of enemy cities, entered the vast arena.

1.126.2 Wearing the armor he was born with, his face radiant with his natural earrings, bow in hand, sword fastened at his side, he walked on foot like a moving mountain.

1.126.3 Born of a maiden's womb, of wide fame, broad-eyed son of Pṛthā, a ray of the sharp-rayed sun god — Karṇa, the destroyer of enemy hosts.

1.126.4 Equal in valor and heroic power to lion, bull, and lordly elephant, comparable in his qualities of blazing radiance, beauty, and brilliance to the sun, the moon, and fire.

1.126.5 Tall, with the complexion of a golden palm tree, with the build of a lion, a youth of innumerable virtues, auspicious and glorious, born of the self of the sun god.

1.126.6 That long-armed hero, having surveyed the entire arena all around, made his salutation to Droṇa and Kṛpa as though without much reverence.

1.126.7 All the assembled people became still and steady-eyed, overtaken by the excitement of "Who is this?" and full of curiosity.

1.126.8 That best of speakers spoke in a voice deep as a thunder-cloud — an unknown brother addressing his brother, as the sun speaks to Indra.

1.126.9 "O Pārtha, whatever remarkable feat you have performed, I shall surpass it before the eyes of all these men — do not be amazed at yourself."

1.126.10 Even before that speech of his was finished, O best of speakers, the crowd sprang up swiftly all around as if hurled by a catapult.

1.126.11 O tiger among men, delight then touched Duryodhana, while shame and anger entered Bībhatsu in an instant.

1.126.12 Then Karṇa, who always loved battle, permitted by Droṇa, performed with great strength everything that Pārtha had done there.

1.126.13 Then Duryodhana, together with his brothers, O Bhārata, embraced Karṇa there with joy and spoke these words:

1.126.14 "Welcome to you, O long-armed one! By good fortune you have arrived, O giver of honor. Both I and the kingdom of the Kurus are yours to enjoy as you wish."

1.126.15 Karṇa said: All else has been accomplished for me; I choose your friendship. And I wish to fight a single combat with Pārtha, O Bhārata.

1.126.16 Duryodhana said: Enjoy pleasures together with me, be the delight of kinsmen, and place your foot on the heads of all ill-wishers, O subduer of foes.

1.126.17 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Pārtha, feeling as though his self had been thrown down, addressed Karṇa who stood in the midst of the group of brothers like an immovable mountain.

1.126.18 "O Karṇa, the worlds that await those who come uninvited and speak uninvited — those worlds shall be yours, slain by me."

1.126.19 Karṇa said: This arena is open to all; what claim do you have here, O Phalguna? For those of royal blood who are supreme in valor, might follows righteousness.

1.126.20 What use are taunts that give comfort only to the weak? Speak with arrows, O Bhārata — I shall sever your head with arrows today in the presence of the teacher.

1.126.21 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Pārtha, the conqueror of enemy cities, permitted by Droṇa, embraced by his brothers who urged him on in haste, advanced toward him for battle.

1.126.22 Then Karṇa, embraced by Duryodhana along with his brothers who were ready for battle, stood there holding his bow with arrows set.

1.126.23 Then the sky became covered with clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder, preceded by Indra's bow, with lines of cranes laughing in their wake.

1.126.24 Then the Sun god, out of affection, seeing his son Karṇa gazing at the arena, drove away the clouds that had drawn near.

1.126.25 The Pāṇḍava then appeared hidden in cloud-shadow, while Karṇa, blazing in the light of the sun, was fully visible.

1.126.26 The sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra stationed themselves where Karṇa stood; Droṇa son of Bharadvāja, Kṛpa, and Bhīṣma went to where Arjuna stood.

1.126.27 The arena split into two sides; the women too were divided in heart. Kuntī, daughter of Kuntibhoja, understanding the situation, fell into a swoon.

1.126.28 Vidura, who knew all duties, comforted Kuntī who had thus fainted, by sprinkling her with water mixed with sandalwood.

1.126.29 Then, having recovered her senses, she saw both sons clad in armor, and though deeply distressed, she could not do anything.

1.126.30 When both had raised their great bows, Kṛpa the son of Śaradvat spoke — he who was skilled in the conduct of duels and knew all duties.

1.126.31 "This is the younger son of Pṛthā, the Pāṇḍava, a Kaurava — he will fight a duel with you.

1.126.32 O mighty-armed one, do you likewise declare your mother, your father, and your lineage before these kings whose family you adorn — then, knowing who you are, Arjuna will decide whether to fight you or not."

1.126.33 The face of Karṇa, spoken to thus, drooped with shame and appeared like a lotus weighed down and dampened by raindrops.

1.126.34 Duryodhana said: "O teacher, scripture establishes three types of origin for kings: one born of noble lineage, one who is a hero, and one who leads armies.

1.126.35 If Phalguna does not wish to fight in battle with one who is not a king, then I shall consecrate this man as king over the realm of Aṅga."

1.126.36 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, at that very moment, Karṇa the great chariot-warrior, endowed with glory and great strength, was consecrated as king of Aṅga by those who knew the sacred hymns, with golden pots adorned with flowers, upon a golden throne.

1.126.37 Honored with white umbrella and fly-whisks, and amid shouts of victory, that king Karṇa — the bull among men — then spoke to that Kaurava king.

1.126.38 "What shall I give you in return for this gift of a kingdom? Tell me, O tiger among kings, and I shall do it." Suyodhana replied to him: "I desire your undying friendship."

1.126.39 Thus spoken to, Karṇa replied "So be it," and both, embracing each other with joy, attained the highest delight.

1.127.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Adhiratha, the charioteer, with his upper garment slipping and trembling with perspiration, entered the arena, leaning on a staff, calling out as if summoning.

1.127.2 Seeing him, Karṇa, restrained by reverence for his father, laid down his bow, and with his head still wet from the consecration, bowed down at his feet.

1.127.3 Then, in great agitation, covering his feet with the hem of his garment, the charioteer called out with full feeling, "My son!"

1.127.4 And embracing his head, overcome with affection, he wetted again with his tears the head that was still moist from the Aṅga kingdom consecration.

1.127.5 Seeing this, the Pāṇḍava Bhīmasena, having determined "this one is the son of a charioteer," then spoke these words, laughing as it were.

1.127.6 "You, O son of a charioteer, do not deserve to be slain in battle by Arjuna. Act in keeping with your lineage — quickly take up the goad instead."

1.127.7 "You are not fit to enjoy the kingdom of Aṅga, O vile man — like a dog standing near the sacred fire claiming the sacrificial cake at a ritual."

1.127.8 Thus addressed, Karṇa's lips quivered slightly; he sighed deeply and looked up at the Sun standing in the sky.

1.127.9 Then Duryodhana the mighty, in anger, sprang up from among that grove of brothers like an elephant maddened with rut.

1.127.10 He spoke to Bhīmasena of terrible deeds who stood there: "O Vṛkodara, it is not fitting for you to speak such words.

1.127.11 "Strength is the highest virtue among Kṣatriyas; one related to the warrior class must fight. The origins of heroes and of rivers are truly difficult to know.

1.127.12 "Fire arose from water and pervades all moving and unmoving things; from the bones of Dadhīci the thunderbolt was made, the slayer of demons.

1.127.13 "The blessed god Guha is called the son of Fire, born of the Kṛttikās, son of Rudra, and son of the Gaṅgā — he who embodies all mysteries.

1.127.14 "Brahmins born of Kṣatriya women are also renowned; our teacher Droṇa was born from a pot; preceptor Kṛpa was born from a clump of reeds; and even the birth of your own family has been proclaimed by kings.

1.127.15 "How could a doe give birth to a tiger like him, blazing like the sun, adorned with divine earrings and armor, and marked by celestial signs?

1.127.16 "This lord of men deserves the kingship of the whole earth, not merely Aṅga's kingdom — by virtue of this arm-strength of his and by my authority as his ally."

1.127.17 "Or whoever among men does not approve of what I have done — let him mount his chariot or stand on foot and bend his bow."

1.127.18 Then a great cry of "Alas! Alas!" arose throughout the arena, accompanied by shouts of "Bravo!" — and the sun went to its setting.

1.127.19 Then Duryodhana, O king, took Karṇa by the hand, and by the light of the torches they departed from that arena.

1.127.20 The Pāṇḍavas together with Droṇa and Kṛpa, O lord of men, and all along with Bhīṣma, departed each to his own quarters.

1.127.21 Some among the people departed crying "Arjuna!" some "Karṇa!" O Bhārata, and some "Duryodhana!" — so they went their ways.

1.127.22 And in Kuntī's heart, love concealed by affection grew, for she had recognized her son the king of Aṅga, indicated by his divine marks.

1.127.23 And for Duryodhana too, O king, upon obtaining Karṇa, the fear that had arisen on account of Arjuna quickly vanished.

1.127.24 And that hero, having demonstrated his mastery of weapons, addressed Suyodhana with high courtesy; and Yudhiṣṭhira too formed the opinion at that time: "There is no bowman on this earth equal to Karṇa."

1.128.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, having assembled all his students, Droṇa urged them all without exception to fetch his teacher's fee, O lord of the earth.

1.128.2 "Seize Drupada the king of Pāñcāla in the forefront of battle and bring him to me — that shall be your highest gift to me. May it go well with you."

1.128.3 Saying "So be it," all of them, those mighty strikers, swiftly mounted their chariots and went together with Droṇa to give the teacher his fee.

1.128.4 Then those bulls among men attacked the Pāñcālas, slaying them as they went, and crushed the city of the mighty Drupada.

1.128.5 Those bulls of the Bhārata clan seized Drupada son of Yajñasena at the forefront of battle and brought him along with his ministers to Droṇa.

1.128.6 His pride broken, his wealth taken, and now brought under subjection — Droṇa, reflecting on that old enmity in his mind, then spoke to Drupada.

1.128.7 "Your kingdom has been swiftly crushed and your city destroyed by me. Having fallen alive into the power of an enemy who was once your friend, what do you desire?"

1.128.8 Having said this and laughed at him, Droṇa considered and then spoke again: "Do not fear for your life, O king — we Brahmins are forgiving.

1.128.9 "The affection that grew between you and me, O bull among Kṣatriyas, was nurtured by those childhood games we played together in the hermitage.

1.128.10 "I would seek friendship with you once again, O bull among men. I give you a boon, O king — receive back half of your kingdom."

1.128.11 "Indeed, one who is not a king cannot be the friend of kings. That is why I have striven for a kingdom of your own, O Yajñasena.

1.128.12 "You are king on the southern bank of the Bhāgīrathī, and I am on the northern bank — know me as your friend, O Pāñcāla, if you are willing."

1.128.13 Drupada said: "This is not surprising, O Brahmin — among great souls of valor, such things occur. I am pleased with you and I desire an everlasting friendship with you."

1.128.14 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, Droṇa released him, O Bhārata, and honoring him with a glad heart, restored to him half the kingdom.

1.128.15 With a downcast heart, Drupada then settled in Makandi on the bank of the Gaṅgā, along with its dependent provinces, and in the great city of Kampilya, and over the southern Pāñcālas as far as the river Carmaṇvatī.

1.128.16 But remembering his enmity with Droṇa, Drupada did not rest, and he saw no way to defeat him by Kṣatriya force alone.

1.128.17 Knowing himself to be inferior in Brahminic power, that king resolved to seek the birth of a son — and Droṇa took possession of the territory of Ahicchatra.

1.128.18 Thus, O king, was the city of Ahicchatra along with its surrounding provinces conquered in battle by Arjuna and delivered to Droṇa.

1.129.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Duryodhana the evil-minded, observing Bhīmasena who was superior in physical strength and Dhanañjaya who had mastered every science, burned with envy.

1.129.2 Then Karṇa the son of Vikartana and Śakuni the son of Subala sought by many means to slay the Pāṇḍavas.

1.129.3 But the Pāṇḍavas, those crushers of foes, were fully aware of all of this; making no outward show of it, they abided by the counsel of Vidura.

1.129.4 The citizens, seeing the sons of Pāṇḍu full of virtues, would then gather and speak of them in the crossroads and assembly halls.

1.129.5 "Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lord of men, uses wisdom as his eyes because of his blindness — he could not obtain the kingdom before; how then should he become king now?

1.129.6 "And Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu, who is true to his word and bound by great vows, having renounced the kingdom long ago, will never take it up now.

1.129.7 "Let us therefore duly consecrate today the eldest Pāṇḍava, who is young in years yet old in conduct, truthful and compassionate."

1.129.8 "For he, knowing dharma, will honor and provide all manner of enjoyments to Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu, to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and to their sons alike."

1.129.9 Duryodhana the evil-minded, hearing those words of the citizens who were devoted to Yudhiṣṭhira, burned with anguish.

1.129.10 That wicked soul, burning with envy, could not endure those words; scorched by jealousy, he came to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.129.11 Then, finding his father alone and paying his respects, burning with the anguish of the citizens' affection for another, he afterwards spoke these words.

1.129.12 "Father, I have heard the inauspicious words of the chattering citizens — setting you aside and Bhīṣma too, they wish the Pāṇḍava as their lord."

1.129.13 "This is also Bhīṣma's view — he does not desire the kingdom; but the people of the city intend to inflict the greatest harm upon us."

1.129.14 "Pāṇḍu obtained the kingdom from his father and by his own virtues in former times; you too were given the kingdom but could not retain it due to the association of deficiencies."

1.129.15 "If this Pāṇḍava obtains the heritage of Pāṇḍu, then it will go surely to his son and to his son's son, so others will say."

1.129.16 "We, deprived of the royal lineage along with our sons, shall become despised by the world, O lord of the earth."

1.129.17 "So that we do not constantly fall into ruin and subsist on another's bounty, O king, make swift arrangements to prevent this."

1.129.18 "If only you had been firmly established in the kingdom from the start, O king, then we would have surely obtained the kingdom even if the people were unwilling."

1.130.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Dhṛtarāṣṭra, having heard such words from his son, reflected for a moment and then spoke to Duryodhana.

1.130.2 "Pāṇḍu was ever devoted to righteousness and always acted for my good and benefit; he was so to all the kinsmen, and especially so to me."

1.130.3 I know nothing of his that he wishes done — food or anything else — without his informing me; firm in his vow, he always reports the kingdom to me.

1.130.4 His son is just as Pāṇḍu was — devoted to righteousness, virtuous, renowned throughout the world, and greatly honored by the citizens.

1.130.5 How then can we forcibly wrest him from this kingdom inherited from his father and grandfather, especially when he has allies on his side?

1.130.6 The ministers appointed by Pāṇḍu are maintained, the army is continually maintained, and even their sons and grandsons are especially well maintained.

1.130.7 Those Paurava people who were honored in the past by Pāṇḍu, dear son — how would they not slay us along with our kinsmen for the sake of Yudhiṣṭhira?

1.130.8 Duryodhana said: All this has indeed been considered by me, father. Recognizing this weakness in myself, I have bound all the constituent elements of the state through gifts of wealth and honor.

1.130.9 They shall certainly become our allies first and foremost; the leading men of wealth together with the ministers are now on my side, O lord of the earth.

1.130.10 Therefore you, sire, should quickly send the Pāṇḍavas away by gentle means to the city of Vāraṇāvata.

1.130.11 When the kingdom is firmly established in me, O king, then Kuntī together with her sons shall return here, O Bhārata.

1.130.12 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Duryodhana, this very thought revolves in my heart too, but because of the wickedness of such an intention I do not disclose it.

1.130.13 Neither Bhīṣma, nor Droṇa, nor Kṣattā, nor Gautama will ever approve of the sons of Kuntī being sent into exile.

1.130.14 For we and they are equal among the Kauravas, my son; these righteous and high-minded men would never desire unfairness.

1.130.15 How then would we not be condemned by the Kauravas and by these great-souled men, and likewise by the world, dear son?

1.130.16 Duryodhana said: Bhīṣma is always neutral; Droṇa's son stands on my side; wherever the son goes, so will Droṇa — there is no doubt in this.

1.130.17 Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvan — wherever these three go, he will follow, and he will never abandon Droṇa and his sister's son.

1.130.18 Kṣattā is indeed bound to us by self-interest, and where the others stand is hidden; he alone is not capable of opposing us for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas.

1.130.19 Therefore, with confidence, send the sons of Pāṇḍu along with their mother into exile at Vāraṇāvata this very day — no fault will arise from this.

1.130.20 This terrible thing that robs one of sleep, like a dart lodged in the heart — this blazing fire of grief — extinguish it by this course of action.

1.131.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then King Duryodhana, together with his younger brothers, gradually won over all those constituent elements of the state through gifts of wealth and honor.

1.131.2 Certain clever ministers deployed by Dhṛtarāṣṭra began to speak of the pleasant city of Vāraṇāvata.

1.131.3 "A great festival is taking place, the most delightful on earth, in the city of Vāraṇāvata, the city of the Lord of Beasts."

1.131.4 "It is a region filled with all precious gems, a place that delights the hearts of men." Thus, on the instruction of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, they spread such talk.

1.131.5 As the pleasant city of Vāraṇāvata was thus being spoken of, O king, there arose in the minds of the sons of Pāṇḍu a desire to go there.

1.131.6 When the king judged that their curiosity had been aroused, the son of Ambikā then addressed the Pāṇḍavas thus.

1.131.7 "These men of mine constantly speak again and again of the city of Vāraṇāvata as the most delightful in the world."

1.131.8 "If you think fit, dear sons, go with your retinues and attendants to enjoy the festival at Vāraṇāvata, like the gods at play."

1.131.9 "Bestow gems on the Brahmins and on singers of all kinds as you please, like radiant gods."

1.131.10 "Having sported there for some time and experienced the greatest joy, you shall return here to Hāstinapura, happy and well."

1.131.11 Perceiving the intention of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and also his own helplessness, Yudhiṣṭhira replied to him with the words "So be it."

1.131.12 Then Yudhiṣṭhira, quietly and with a heavy heart, spoke these words to the greatly wise Bhīṣma, the high-minded Vidura, Droṇa, Bāhlika, and the Kaurava Somadatta,

1.131.13 to Kṛpa, to the son of the preceptor, and to the glorious Gāndhārī — Yudhiṣṭhira softly and sorrowfully spoke these words to them at that time.

1.131.14 "We shall dwell in the pleasant and populous city of Vāraṇāvata with our retinues, dear sir, by the command of Dhṛtarāṣṭra."

1.131.15 "With cheerful minds, all of you utter auspicious words; may evil not overpower us when we are strengthened by your blessings."

1.131.16 Thus addressed by the son of Pāṇḍu, all those Kauravas, with cheerful faces, turned toward the Pāṇḍavas.

1.131.17 "May you ever fare well upon the road, and may all beings everywhere bless you; may no ill whatsoever befall you from any quarter, O sons of Pāṇḍu."

1.131.18 Then the Pāṇḍavas, having been blessed with good omens and with the aim of regaining the kingdom, completed all their duties and departed for Vāraṇāvata.

1.132.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When the great-souled Pāṇḍavas had been thus addressed by the king, the wicked Duryodhana was overcome with great joy.

1.132.2 He took his minister Purocana aside in private, O bull of the Bhāratas, and grasping his right hand, spoke these words to him.

1.132.3 "This earth full of wealth is mine, Purocana; as it is mine, so it is yours — therefore you must guard it."

1.132.4 "For there is no other ally of mine more trustworthy than you, with whom I might deliberate and conspire as I can with you."

1.132.5 "Preserve secrecy, dear friend, and rid me of my enemies by a clever stratagem; do as I tell you."

1.132.6 "The Pāṇḍavas have been sent by Dhṛtarāṣṭra to Vāraṇāvata; they will enjoy the festival there by Dhṛtarāṣṭra's command."

1.132.7 "You yourself must go to Vāraṇāvata this very day by a swift chariot drawn by mules — see to it that you go."

1.132.8 "Having gone there, build near the armory a four-walled mansion, most well-enclosed, at great expense."

1.132.9 "Hemp, resin, and whatever other materials there are that are flammable — have all of them supplied there."

1.132.10 "Mix clay with clarified butter, oil, and a generous quantity of lac, and have this mixture plastered on the walls."

1.132.11 "Hemp, bamboo, ghee, timber, and various implements — deposit all of these inside that dwelling all around."

1.132.12 "Do it in such a way that even if the Pāṇḍavas examine it, they will not suspect you, nor will other men think it a fire-trap."

1.132.13 "When the house has been built in this way, honor the Pāṇḍavas greatly and lodge them there — the sons of Pāṇḍu and Kuntī together with her companions."

1.132.14 "The finest seats, carriages, and beds must be provided for the Pāṇḍavas, so that my father may be pleased."

1.132.15 "Everything must be arranged so that they live with full confidence and delight in the city of Vāraṇāvata until the turning of the right moment."

1.132.16 "When you know that they are completely trusting, lying asleep without any fear, then you shall set fire to that dwelling from the door."

1.132.17 "Burnt thus in their own house, people will say 'they were burned,' or their kinsmen may say so whenever they speak on behalf of the Pāṇḍavas."

1.132.18 Promising "So be it" to the Kaurava, Purocana departed for the city of Vāraṇāvata with a mule-drawn chariot.

1.132.19 Having gone there swiftly, O king, standing firm in Duryodhana's resolve, Purocana did everything exactly as the prince had instructed.

1.133.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The Pāṇḍavas, having yoked their chariots with excellent horses peerless in speed, as they were about to mount, sorrowfully clasped Bhīṣma's feet.

1.133.2 And those of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the great-souled Droṇa, and of all the other elders, and of Vidura and Kṛpa as well.

1.133.3 Thus the vow-observing Pāṇḍavas paid homage to all the elder Kurus, embraced those of equal station, and were saluted by the young.

1.133.4 Having asked leave of all the mothers and circumambulated them, and having taken leave of all the constituent elements of the kingdom as well, they departed for Vāraṇāvata.

1.133.5 The greatly wise Vidura and the other bulls of the Kuru race, and the citizens as well, followed those tigers among men, worn thin with grief.

1.133.6 There, certain Brahmins spoke fearlessly at that time, grieving deeply for the sons of Pāṇḍu, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.133.7 "The king looks upon things with partiality; Dhṛtarāṣṭra, his mind utterly shrouded in darkness, is very evil-minded and does not perceive righteousness."

1.133.8 "For the sinless Pāṇḍava would not sanction evil, nor would Bhīma the foremost among the strong, nor Dhanaṃjaya the son of Kuntī — how much less would the two greatly wise sons of Mādrī do so?"

1.133.9 "Dhṛtarāṣṭra cannot tolerate that kingdom obtained through their father; this is complete unrighteousness — why does this Bhīṣma approve of the sons of Kuntī, bulls of the Bhāratas, being sent into banishment unjustly?"

1.133.10 "For the son of Śaṃtanu was like a father to us in former times, as was the royal sage Vicitravīrya, and Pāṇḍu the joy of the Kurus."

1.133.11 "Now that that tiger among men has met his destined end, Dhṛtarāṣṭra cannot bear these young princes."

1.133.12 "Unwilling to bear this, let us all abandon our homes in this greatest of cities and go wherever Yudhiṣṭhira goes."

1.133.13 To those citizens speaking thus, distressed and worn with grief, the righteous king Yudhiṣṭhira spoke with the greatest affection, himself pained by their sorrow.

1.133.14 "What the lord of the earth has said, as our honored father and highest elder, that must be done by us without doubt — such is our vow."

1.133.15 "You are our friends — circumambulate us, bless us with your benedictions, and then return each to your own home."

1.133.16 "When the occasion arises in which you can be of service to us, then you shall do what is dear and beneficial to me."

1.133.17 They promised "So be it," circumambulated the Pāṇḍavas, blessed them with benedictions, and returned to the city.

1.133.18 When the citizens had turned back, Vidura — who knows all righteousness, a wise man speaking to a wise man, one who knows the language of the learned, one who truly perceives the ends of right and wealth — spoke these words to the foremost of the Pāṇḍavas to enlighten him.

1.133.19 "Understanding this, one should act in such a way as to cross over the danger. A weapon sharp without being of iron is what cuts through the body; he who knows this — and who knows the counter-blow — enemies cannot strike him down."

1.133.20 "The burner of dry grass and the burner of cold — the creature that dwells in holes in the great thicket — he who guards himself thinking 'it shall not burn me' is the one who lives."

1.133.21 "One without eyes does not know the road; one without eyes does not find the directions; one without steadiness does not attain prosperity — understand this, you who have been awakened."

1.133.22 "A man receives from those not close to him a weapon not made of iron; gaining the shelter of a porcupine's burrow, he can escape the consuming fire."

1.133.23 "By travelling one learns the paths; by the stars one finds the directions; by subduing one's five senses oneself, one is not afflicted."

1.133.24 Having given this counsel, having walked with them a little way, having circumambulated the Pāṇḍavas, and having bade them farewell, Vidura returned home.

1.133.25 When Vidura and Bhīṣma and the citizens had turned back, Kuntī addressed Ajātaśatru and spoke these words.

1.133.26 The words that Vidura spoke, as though speaking without speaking in public — that you replied 'so be it' to him — we do not know what that was.

1.133.27 If it is possible for us to hear it, and if it contains nothing harmful, I wish to hear the entire conversation between you and him.

1.133.28 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Vidura told me, "Beware of poison and of fire," and he also said, "Let no path remain unknown to you."

1.133.29 He told me, "One who has conquered his senses will win the earth." I replied to Vidura, "All of this is understood."

1.133.30 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Setting out on the eighth day of the lunar fortnight, on the day of Rohiṇī in the month of Phālguna, they arrived at Vāraṇāvata and beheld the citizens there.

1.134.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then all the subjects of the city of Vāraṇāvata, adorned with every auspicious article, according to scriptural injunction, with diligent care,

1.134.2 Hearing of the arrival of the sons of Pāṇḍu, came forth in thousands with various conveyances to meet those best of men, with utmost joy, the very moment they heard the news.

1.134.3 Those citizens of Vāraṇāvata, having approached the sons of Kuntī, all offered blessings of victory and stood surrounding them in attendance.

1.134.4 Surrounded by them, that tiger among men, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, shone like a god in appearance, like Vajrapāṇi amidst the immortals.

1.134.5 Honoured by the citizens, and having in turn honoured the citizens, those sinless ones entered Vāraṇāvata, which was adorned and crowded with people.

1.134.6 Having entered the city, those heroes quickly proceeded to the homes of the Brāhmaṇas, O protector of the earth, who were intent on their own duties,

1.134.7 and those best of men visited also the houses of the city's administrators and charioteers, and likewise the homes of Vaiśyas and Śūdras.

1.134.8 Honoured by the citizens, those bulls among the Bhāratas, the Pāṇḍavas, thereafter went to their residence, with Purocana leading the way.

1.134.9 Purocana provided them with food and drink fit for consumption, good beds, and excellent seats.

1.134.10 There, honoured by him and furnished with very costly furnishings, attended upon by the men of the city, they dwelt.

1.134.11 But after they had dwelt there for ten nights, Purocana then pointed out to them a house called "Śiva" (auspicious) — though it was truly inauspicious.

1.134.12 There those tigers among men entered with their belongings, at Purocana's word, like the Guhyakas entering mount Kailāsa.

1.134.13 But examining that dwelling, Yudhiṣṭhira, versed in all righteousness, sniffing the scent of fat mixed with ghee and lac, said to Bhīmasena, "This is a fire-trap."

1.134.14 "Clearly this dwelling has been made as a fire-trap, O scorcher of foes — hemp and pine resin are plainly used in its construction, and all materials such as muñja-grass, reeds, and bamboo are thoroughly soaked in ghee."

1.134.15 "This was well constructed by trusted, skilled craftsmen versed in building — this wicked Purocana wishes to burn me when I am off-guard."

1.134.16 "It was this very danger that Vidura of great intellect foresaw, O Pārtha, and for that reason he warned me beforehand."

1.134.17 "We, having been warned by him, know this inauspicious house — well built by craftsmen who secretly follow Duryodhana's will."

1.134.18 Bhīma said: If you believe this dwelling to be a fire-trap as prepared, then it is well that we return to where we stayed before.

1.134.19 Yudhiṣṭhira said: I think we should remain here, vigilant and showing no outward sign — like those who are lost seeking a safe and certain path from here.

1.134.20 "For if Purocana were to detect any sign from us, he would then act swiftly and burn us by force."

1.134.21 "This Purocana has no fear of public censure or of unrighteousness — for so does he behave, that dull-witted one, standing firm in Suyodhana's command."

1.134.22 "And even if we were burned here, would our grandfather Bhīṣma become angry? And why would he anger the Kauravas? He would be angry only out of righteousness, and so would the other bulls of the Kurus."

1.134.23 "But if we were to flee, fearing the fire, then Suyodhana, greedy for kingship, would have us all killed through his spies."

1.134.24 "One who stands secure in position would surely destroy those who have no footing; one with support would destroy those without allies; one with a great treasury would certainly destroy those with a depleted treasury, by his machinations."

1.134.25 "Therefore we must deceive this wicked man and that wicked Suyodhana as well, and dwell in concealment, moving from place to place."

1.134.26 "We, adopting the habit of hunting, shall roam this earth, and thus the paths for our escape will become known to us."

1.134.27 "And let us this very day dig a well-concealed underground tunnel — breathing quietly there, the fire will not be able to consume us."

1.134.28 "While we live here, we must act diligently so that neither Purocana nor any citizen of the town suspects us."

1.135.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: A certain friend of Vidura, a skilled digger, in a secluded spot, O king, spoke these words to the Pāṇḍavas:

1.135.2 "I am sent by Vidura; I am highly skilled as a digger. My task is to do what is dear to the Pāṇḍavas — what shall I do for you?"

1.135.3 "Vidura told me in secret, 'Secure the welfare of the Pāṇḍavas here with his full trust' — what shall I do for you?"

1.135.4 "On the fourteenth night of the dark fortnight, Purocana will set fire to the door of this dwelling of yours."

1.135.5 "The Pāṇḍavas, those bulls among men, along with their mother, are to be burned alive — thus is the resolve of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, as I have heard, O Pārtha."

1.135.6 "Moreover, Vidura spoke something to you in the Mleccha tongue, O Pāṇḍava, and you replied 'so be it' — this is the reason for my trust."

1.135.7 Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, firm in truth, said to him: "I recognise you, gentle one, as indeed a friend of Vidura."

1.135.8 "Pure, trustworthy, dear, and ever of firm devotion — there is no need of any further proof of recognition from the wise one."

1.135.9 "As he is to us, so are you to us — we make no distinction between you. We are yours as we are his. Protect us as the wise one would."

1.135.10 "It is my conviction that this shelter — a fire-trap — was arranged by Purocana for my destruction, at the command of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son."

1.135.11 "That wicked one, possessed of a treasury and with allies, the evil-minded, wicked-souled one — he harasses us constantly at all times."

1.135.12 "May you, with effort, deliver us from this fire — for if we are burned here, Suyodhana would have his wish fulfilled."

1.135.13 "This is an arsenal of that evil-souled one, built at the edge of the rampart, inescapable — this great construction."

1.135.14 "This is surely that inauspicious deed he intended to do — Vidura knew it beforehand, and for that reason he warned us."

1.135.15 "This is the very danger that Kṣattā foresaw before — while Purocana remains unaware of us, deliver us from it."

1.135.16 Having promised "so be it," the digger applied himself diligently and, excavating a trench, made a very large underground tunnel.

1.135.17 And he made in the middle of that dwelling a not-too-large opening fitted with a door, unknown to others and level with the ground, O Bhārata.

1.135.18 Out of fear of Purocana, he kept the opening covered; and that one of inauspicious mind (Purocana) dwelt always at the door of the house.

1.135.19 There they all dwelt, armed, through the nights, O king, and by day the sons of Pāṇḍu went hunting from forest to forest.

1.135.20 Appearing trusting though they trusted not, deceiving Purocana, appearing content though discontented, O king, they dwelt in the utmost misery.

1.135.21 And the men dwelling in the city did not come to know of them — except for the minister Vidura and that best of diggers.

1.136.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Seeing them apparently cheerful, having dwelt there for a full year, and noting that they appeared quite at ease, Purocana felt joy.

1.136.2 When Purocana was thus rejoicing, Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī and knower of righteousness, then spoke to Bhīmasena, Arjuna, and the twins:

1.136.3 "This wicked Purocana believes us to be fully at ease — this cruel-souled one has been deceived. I think the time for flight has come."

1.136.4 "Setting fire to the arsenal and burning Purocana as well, and leaving six living bodies here, let us flee undetected."

1.136.5 Then, under the pretext of charity, Kuntī gave a great feast to Brāhmaṇas by night, O king, and women came there.

1.136.6 They, having enjoyed themselves as they wished, having eaten and drunk, O Bhārata, departed in the night to their homes, taking leave of Mādhavī (Kuntī).

1.136.7 But a Niṣāda woman with five sons, seeking food, came to that feast by chance, driven by fate, together with her sons.

1.136.8 She, having drunk wine, was intoxicated, she and her sons overcome with intoxication, and together with all her sons, O king, she fell fast asleep in that very dwelling, bereft of consciousness, like one dead, O lord of men.

1.136.9 Then, when the wind was blowing fiercely, in the night, when the people had fallen asleep, O lord, Bhīma set fire to the place where Purocana slept.

1.136.10 Then a very great blaze and a loud crackling of the fire arose, and by that the crowd of people was awakened.

1.136.11 The citizens said: "That wicked one of perverted intellect, urged on by Duryodhana, had this house built and set on fire — for his own destruction."

1.136.12 "Alas, shame on Dhṛtarāṣṭra's intention — it is not at all proper — he who caused the innocent, young Pāṇḍavas to be burned by his minister."

1.136.13 "By good fortune, this evil-souled one of utterly perverted mind is now burned — he who would have burned these best of men, who were innocent and had trusted him completely."

1.136.14 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus the citizens of Vāraṇāvata lamented, and surrounding that house, they stood on all sides through the night.

1.136.15 And the Pāṇḍavas too, O king, deeply distressed, together with their mother, came out through that tunnel and went away in secret, undetected.

1.136.16 But the Pāṇḍavas, those scorchers of enemies, on account of that lack of sleep and from exhaustion, were unable to move quickly along with their mother.

1.136.17 But Bhīmasena, O king of kings, of terrifying speed and prowess, went forward, taking all his brothers and their mother as well.

1.136.18 That mighty one placed his mother on his shoulder, held the twins in his lap, and grasped the two Pārthas — those brothers of immense strength — with his hands.

1.136.19 Swiftly snapping trees and splitting the earth with his feet, that radiant Vṛkodara, swift as the wind, advanced rapidly.

1.137.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, when the night had passed, the entire populace of the city came there in haste, wishing to see the sons of Pāṇḍu.

1.137.2 While extinguishing the fire, those people then saw that house of lac burnt to ashes, and the minister Purocana burned as well.

1.137.3 "Surely this was arranged by the evil-acting Duryodhana for the destruction of the Pāṇḍavas" — thus did the people cry out.

1.137.4 "Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, without doubt, burned the heirs of Pāṇḍu with Dhṛtarāṣṭra's knowledge — for he (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) did not restrain him."

1.137.5 "Surely Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, does not follow righteousness, nor does Droṇa, nor Vidura, nor Kṛpa, nor the other Kauravas."

1.137.6 "We send word to that evil-souled Dhṛtarāṣṭra: your supreme desire is fulfilled — you have burned the Pāṇḍavas."

1.137.7 Then, as they cleared away the fire in search of the Pāṇḍavas, they saw the Niṣāda woman burned — she of five sons, who was innocent.

1.137.8 The tunnel which that very digger had made while clearing the house was filled in with earth and left unseen by those men.

1.137.9 Then the townspeople sent word to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas and the minister Purocana had been consumed by fire.

1.137.10 King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing that most grievous news — the destruction of the sons of Pāṇḍu — lamented in deep sorrow.

1.137.11 "Today my brother King Pāṇḍu, so rare and dear, is truly dead — for those heroes have been burned together with their mother."

1.137.12 "Let men go at once to the city of Vāraṇāvata to render fitting honors to those heroes and to that daughter of the king of the Kuntīs."

1.137.13 "Let them also cause auspicious and great funeral mounds to be made, and let friends honor all those who have died there."

1.137.14 "In these circumstances, whatever beneficent rites I am able to have performed for the Pāṇḍavas and for Kuntī — let all of that be done with wealth."

1.137.15 Having spoken thus, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, son of Ambikā, surrounded by his kinsmen, then performed the water-offering for the sons of Pāṇḍu.

1.137.16 All the Kauravas wept aloud, wholly given over to grief; but Vidura grieved only a little, for he knew the higher truth.

1.137.17 The Pāṇḍavas, having escaped from the city of Vāraṇāvata, O king, swiftly journeyed on, keeping to the southern direction.

1.137.18 Discerning their path by the stars at night, facing southward and pressing hard, they entered a dense forest, O king.

1.137.19 Then the sons of Pāṇḍu, exhausted, tormented by thirst, and blinded by sleep, spoke again these words to the mighty Bhīmasena:

1.137.20 "What could be more wretched than this — that we wander in a dense forest, knowing not the directions and unable to walk?"

1.137.21 "And we do not know whether that wicked Purocana has been burned; how can we escape this fear while remaining unseen?"

1.137.22 "Take us up again as before and carry us, O Bhārata — for you alone among us are strong, like the ever-moving wind."

1.137.23 Thus addressed by the king of dharma, the immensely powerful Bhīmasena took up Kuntī and his brothers and departed swiftly.

1.138.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As he strode swiftly, a wind arose driven by the speed of his thighs, O king, like the wind at the onset of the bright autumn season.

1.138.2 He crushed the flowering and fruit-bearing forest trees and snapped the wooden shrubs that stood along his path.

1.138.3 Thus breaking trees, he of measureless valor strode on; by his speed, something like a swoon came over the Pāṇḍus.

1.138.4 And again and again crossing wide rivers by the paddle of his arms, they reached a concealed path, driven by fear of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son.

1.138.5 With great difficulty he carried on his back that one delicate and illustrious mother over the steep and uneven river banks.

1.138.6 Those bulls of the Bhāratas arrived at a region of the forest scarce in roots, fruits, and water, full of fierce birds and beasts, dreadful, toward evening.

1.138.7 The twilight was terrible; the beasts and birds were fearsome; all directions were dark; and unseasonable winds blew.

1.138.8 Those scions of the Kuru line, tormented by fatigue and thirst and overwhelmed by mounting sleep, could not walk on.

1.138.9 Then Bhīma, having entered that vast, desolate, dreadful forest, ran toward a great banyan tree with wide shade, lovely and inviting.

1.138.10 Having set them all down there, that bull of the Bhāratas said, "I will seek water here; rest yourselves, O lord."

1.138.11 "These cranes that move on water are crying sweetly — I believe there is certainly a great body of water here."

1.138.12 Permitted by his eldest brother with the word "go," O Bhārata, he went to the place where the water-birds were crying.

1.138.13 He drank water there and bathed, O bull of the Bhāratas, and then brought water back in his upper garment, O king.

1.138.14 Having returned swiftly from a distance of just a league toward his mother, wolf-bellied Bhīma saw his mother and brothers lying asleep on the bare ground and lamented, his soul overwhelmed with grief.

1.138.15 "Those who formerly at Vāraṇāvata did not reach sleep even on the most precious of beds — today they lie sleeping on the bare earth."

1.138.16 "She who is the sister of Vāsudeva, crusher of enemy hosts, the daughter of Kuntibhoja, Kuntī, honored for all auspicious marks —"

1.138.17 "— daughter-in-law of Vicitravīrya, wife of the great-souled Pāṇḍu, she who always slept in palaces, radiant as the inside of a lotus —"

1.138.18 "— most tender of women, fit for the most excellent of beds — behold her lying today here on the earth, where she does not belong."

1.138.19 "She who gave birth to these sons from Dharma, from Indra, and from Vāyu — this very one lies exhausted on the ground today, so undeserving of such a fate."

1.138.20 "What greater sorrow could I behold beyond this — I who today see these tigers among men lying asleep on the bare earth?"

1.138.21 "He who deserves kingship over all three worlds, that king who knows dharma — how does he lie exhausted on the ground like an ordinary man?"

1.138.22 "This one, dark as a blue raincloud, peerless among men on earth, lies on the ground like a common person — what could be more sorrowful than this?"

1.138.23 "These two, who in beauty of form are like the twin Aśvins among the gods — today these two lie sound asleep on the bare ground like ordinary folk."

1.138.24 "He whose kinsmen are not hostile, not besmirchers of the family — he lives happily in the world, like a solitary tree in a village."

1.138.25 "For a single tree in a village that is full of leaves and fruit becomes a shrine; without kinsmen to trouble it, it is revered and well honored."

1.138.26 "And those who have many kinsmen who are brave and grounded in dharma — they live happily in the world and remain free of affliction."

1.138.27 "Powerful, prosperous, rejoiced over by friends and kinsmen, they live leaning on one another, like trees that grow in the forest."

1.138.28 "But we have been exiled by the evil-souled Dhṛtarāṣṭra together with his son, and somehow escaped being burned by his command."

1.138.29 "Freed from that burning, we have taken refuge under this tree — having attained the utmost hardship, what direction shall we take?"

1.138.30 "I can see that a town is not very far from this forest. These ones must be guarded while they sleep — I myself shall keep watch."

1.138.31 "These ones will drink water later when they awaken, having conquered their fatigue." Having thus resolved, Bhīma kept vigil himself at that time.

1.139.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: While they lay sleeping there, a rākṣasa named Hiḍimba was perched in a śāla tree not far from that forest.

1.139.2 Cruel, a devourer of human flesh, of great valor and enormous strength, misshapen in form, tawny-eyed, fearsome, dreadful to behold, hungry for flesh, tormented by hunger — he happened to catch sight of them.

1.139.3 With fingers pointing upward he was scratching himself, shaking his matted, rough hair, yawning wide-mouthed, and looking at them again and again.

1.139.4 That vile devourer of human flesh, huge of body and great of strength, sniffing the smell of humans, said this to his sister:

1.139.5 "After a long time, food that is dear to my heart has come my way today. Fat drips down; my tongue goes around my mouth."

1.139.6 "My eight fangs, very sharp-tipped, so long unbearably eager to strike — I shall sink them into those sleek and juicy bodies."

1.139.7 "Seizing a human throat and severing the great artery, I shall drink the fresh, warm, frothy blood in abundance."

1.139.8 "Go, find out who these are that lie sleeping sheltered in the forest. The powerful smell of humans all but satisfies my nostrils."

1.139.9 "Slay all these humans and bring them to me. Those sleeping in our territory need have no fear from them; you need not fear them either."

1.139.10 "Having prepared the flesh of these humans to our liking, we two shall feast together. Quickly carry out my word."

1.139.11 Understanding her brother's command, the rākṣasī hastened to where the Pāṇḍavas were, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.139.12 Going there, she saw the Pāṇḍavas along with Pṛthā lying asleep, and Bhīmasena, the unconquered one, keeping watch.

1.139.13 The moment the rākṣasī saw Bhīmasena, risen like the trunk of a śāla tree, she fell in love with him — peerless in beauty on earth.

1.139.14 "This one, dark-complexioned, long-armed, lion-shouldered, of great splendor, conch-necked, lotus-eyed — he would be a fitting husband for me."

1.139.15 "I shall never carry out my brother's word laden with cruelty, for the love of a husband is far more powerful than fraternal affection."

1.139.16 "My brother's satisfaction from their being slain would last but a moment, whereas if they are not slain I shall rejoice for endless years."

1.139.17 She, who could assume any form at will, took on the most beautiful human form and approached the long-armed Bhīmasena slowly, slowly.

1.139.18 Like a creeper vine seemingly bashful, adorned with divine ornaments, she smiled first and then spoke these words to Bhīmasena:

1.139.19 "Where have you come from, and who are you, O bull among men? Who are these men sleeping here, godlike in form?"

1.139.20 "And who is this tall, dark, delicate woman of yours, O sinless one, who sleeps having entered this forest as at ease as if in her own home?"

1.139.21 "She does not know that this dense forest is haunted by rākṣasas; for there dwells here an evil-souled rākṣasa named Hiḍimba."

1.139.22 "It is by that rākṣasa, my brother of wicked disposition, who desires to eat your flesh, that I have been sent here, O one comparable to the immortals."

1.139.23 "But I, having set eyes on you, radiant as the embryo of a god, desire no other husband — this I tell you truly."

1.139.24 "Knowing this, O knower of dharma, act toward me as is proper; receive me who receive you, whose heart and body are smitten with love."

1.139.25 "I will protect you, O long-armed one, from that man-eating rākṣasa. We two shall dwell in mountain fastnesses — be my husband, O sinless one."

1.139.26 "For I am one who moves through the sky and can roam wherever I desire. Obtain unequaled delight here and there together with me."

1.139.27 Bhīma said: Who, even though powerful, would abandon today his mother, his eldest brother, these younger brothers — who could do so, O rākṣasī?

1.139.28 "For what man like me, overcome by desire, would surrender these sleeping brothers and his mother as food for a rākṣasa and then go away?"

1.139.29 The rākṣasī said: I will do whatever pleases you. Awaken all of them — I will gladly deliver you all from that man-eating rākṣasa.

1.139.30 Bhīma said: I will not, out of fear of your evil-souled brother, awaken my brothers and my mother who are sleeping comfortably in the forest, O rākṣasī.

1.139.31 "For rākṣasas are not capable of enduring my valor, O timid one — nor are humans, nor gandharvas, nor yakṣas, O lovely-eyed one."

1.139.32 "Go or stay, O auspicious one — do whatever you wish; or send here that man-eating brother of yours, O slender one."

1.140.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Knowing that she had been gone a long time, Hiḍimba, lord of rākṣasas, descended from that tree and came toward the Pāṇḍavas.

1.140.2 Red-eyed, long-armed, hair erect, of great strength, his body massive as a mass of storm-clouds, his face blazing with sharp fangs —

1.140.3 Seeing him rush toward them in so terrible a form, Hiḍimbā, trembling with fear, spoke these words to Bhīmasena:

1.140.4 "This evil-souled man-eater is rushing toward us in a fury. Do as I tell you — together with your brothers.

1.140.5 I can go wherever I wish, hero, and I am endowed with the power of a rākṣasa. Climb onto my hips and I will carry you through the air.

1.140.6 Wake those who are sleeping soundly, and your mother too, O scorcher of foes. Taking all of you, I will fly through the sky."

1.140.7 Bhīma said: "Fear not, O broad-hipped one — while I stand here, this one is nothing. I will slay him before your very eyes, O slender-waisted lady.

1.140.8 This wretch of a rākṣasa has not the power, O timid one, to withstand my onset in battle — nor indeed could all the rākṣasas combined.

1.140.9 Look at these two well-rounded arms of mine, like the trunks of elephants; at these thighs, like iron clubs; and at this compact chest of mine.

1.140.10 Today you shall see my valor equal to Indra's, O beautiful one. Do not despise me, O broad-hipped lady, thinking me a mere mortal."

1.140.11 Hiḍimbā said: "I do not despise you, O tiger among men — you are godlike in form. Yet the rākṣasa surpasses human beings even in the matter of footstep-speed."

1.140.12 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Even as Bhīmasena was speaking thus, O Bhārata, the enraged man-eating rākṣasa heard those words.

1.140.13 Hiḍimba observed his sister's human form — her hair adorned with garland-strands and wreaths, her face like the full moon,

1.140.14 with beautiful brows, nose, eyes, and hair-ends, delicate nails and skin, decked in all ornaments, and clothed in the finest of garments.

1.140.15 Seeing her bearing that exceedingly beautiful human form and suspecting her of desire for a man, the man-eater flew into a rage.

1.140.16 The enraged rākṣasa, O best of the Kurus, rolling his great wide eyes at his sister, then spoke these words to her:

1.140.17 "Who is this fool who goes about obstructing me, eager as I am for my meal? Hiḍimbā, do you not fear my wrath? Are you so deluded?

1.140.18 Shame on you, wicked woman, lusting after a man, bringing dishonor upon me, and disgracing all our forebear chiefs among the rākṣasas!

1.140.19 Those very men whom you have taken under your protection, doing me this great disservice — I shall slay all of them this day, along with you."

1.140.20 Having said this, Hiḍimba with his blood-red eyes gnashed his teeth against his teeth and charged at Hiḍimbā to kill her.

1.140.21 Seeing him rushing forward, Bhīma, the foremost of warriors, that spirited hero, checked him with threats and cried: "Stand! Stand!"

1.141.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Bhīmasena, seeing the rākṣasa enraged against his sister, said with something like a laugh:

1.141.2 "What do you want with those sleeping peacefully, Hiḍimba, whether woken or not? Come at me swiftly, O wicked-minded man-eater.

1.141.3 Strike at me alone — you ought not to slay a woman, especially one who has done you no harm, even if another has wronged you.

1.141.4 This young woman is not of her own will desiring me here — she has been impelled by Kāma, who moves within the heart; she is your own sister, O wicked-minded disgrace of the rākṣasas.

1.141.5 Moreover, it was by your own command that she came here; having seen my form, this timid one desires me — she brings no disgrace upon the clan.

1.141.6 The fault was wrought by the bodiless one — while I stand here, you wicked-souled rākṣasa, you have no right to slay this woman.

1.141.7 Come and fight with me alone, one against one, O man-eater. Today I myself will conduct you to the abode of Yama.

1.141.8 Today let your head be crushed by my palm, O rākṣasa, split apart like a mighty elephant's foot crushing a skull.

1.141.9 Today let the flesh-eating vultures, hawks, and jackals joyfully drag your limbs along the earth, slain by me in battle.

1.141.10 In an instant today I shall make this forest free of its thorn — this forest that was forever befouled in the past by you devouring men.

1.141.11 Today, O sinner, your sister shall see you dragged along the ground by me, mountain-like, as a lion drags a great elephant.

1.141.12 With you slain by me, O disgrace of the rākṣasas, men who wander in forests will roam this forest free from all trouble."

1.141.13 Hiḍimba said: "What is the use of roaring and boasting in vain, O mortal? Accomplish this deed and then boast of it all — do not delay long."

1.141.14 "You think yourself strong and me lacking in valor — today, when you close with me, you shall know your own strength to be the lesser."

1.141.15 "I will not harm those sleeping there — let them sleep at their ease. It is you alone, O wicked-minded speaker of disagreeable words, that I slay today."

1.141.16 "After drinking your blood from your body, I will then slay them — and after that, this wretch who has done me harm."

1.141.17 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having said this, the man-eater seized his arm and charged in fury at Bhīmasena, the subduer of foes.

1.141.18 As he charged swiftly, Bhīma of terrible prowess caught the arm that had been thrust at him with a kind of laugh.

1.141.19 Seizing him forcibly, Bhīma dragged the writhing rākṣasa eight bow-lengths from that spot, as a lion drags a small beast.

1.141.20 Then the rākṣasa, enraged, held fast by the Pāṇḍava, clasped Bhīmasena in his arms and let out a dreadful roar.

1.141.21 Again mighty Bhīma forcibly dragged him away, thinking: "Let there be no noise to wake my brothers who are sleeping soundly."

1.141.22 The two of them, coming at each other, dragged one another with all their might — the rākṣasa and Bhīmasena each displaying supreme valor.

1.141.23 They broke great trees and tore apart creepers, like two sixty-year-old elephants in rut, both fiercely enraged.

1.141.24 Roused by the great noise the two made, those bulls among men awoke along with their mother — and they saw Hiḍimbā standing before them.

1.142.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Awakened and seeing Hiḍimbā's superhuman form, those tigers among men were filled with wonder, as was Pṛthā.

1.142.2 Then Kuntī, marveling at her beauty, spoke these sweet soothing words to her gently:

1.142.3 "Whose are you, O one radiant as the womb of the gods? Who are you, O lady of fine complexion? What is your purpose here, O beautiful-hipped one? And from where have you come?

1.142.4 Whether you are a deity of this forest or an Apsaras, tell me everything — and for what purpose do you stand here?"

1.142.5 Hiḍimbā said: "This great forest you see, dark as a rain-cloud — this is the dwelling place of the rākṣasa Hiḍimba, and of me as well.

1.142.6 Know me, O spirited lady, as the sister of that rākṣasa lord — sent by my brother, O noble one, who wished to kill you along with your sons.

1.142.7 Acting on the orders of that cruel-minded one, I came here and beheld your son, golden-complexioned and of great splendor.

1.142.8 Then I, wandering in the nature of all beings, was impelled by Manmatha who had entered your son — I came under his sway, O auspicious one.

1.142.9 So I chose your mighty son as my husband, and tried to carry him away — but I could not.

1.142.10 Knowing that I was delaying, that man-eater has himself come here to slay all your sons.

1.142.11 He has been forcibly crushed and dragged away from here by that wise great-souled one, your son, my beloved.

1.142.12 Behold those two of mighty speed roaring at each other — the man and the rākṣasa, both displaying valor in battle!"

1.142.13 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The moment they heard her words, Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna, and valiant Nakula and Sahadeva leapt to their feet.

1.142.14 They saw the two locked together, dragging each other, each striving for victory, like two lions fierce in battle.

1.142.15 The two of them, clasping each other and dragging back and forth, raised a cloud of dust from the earth like the smoke of a forest fire.

1.142.16 Enveloped in the dust of the earth, resembling the pillars of the earth itself, the two blazed like two mountains wrapped in mist.

1.142.17 Watching Bhīma being hard pressed by the rākṣasa, Arjuna spoke these words with something of a laugh:

1.142.18 "Fear not, Bhīma, O great-armed one — we did not know you had met this fearsome form while we slept, wearied and worn out.

1.142.19 I am here to aid you, O son of Pṛthā — I will fight the rākṣasa. Nakula and Sahadeva shall guard our mother."

1.142.20 Bhīma said: "Stand aside and watch — no alarm is needed from you. This one, having come within the reach of my arms, shall never live again."

1.142.21 Arjuna said: "Why keep this sinful rākṣasa alive so long, Bhīma? We cannot linger here much longer, O subduer of foes.

1.142.22 Before long the east will redden; before long the twilight will begin; and at the dreadful hour, rākṣasas grow powerful.

1.142.23 Hurry, Bhīma — do not play games. Slay this fearsome demon before he works his magic; pour the essence of your arms into this."

1.142.24 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus urged by Arjuna, Bhīma quickly lifted the dreadful rākṣasa's body and whirled it round more than a hundred times.

1.142.25 Bhīma said: "Nourished on flesh in vain, grown up in vain, your mind wasted in vain — you deserve a futile death; today your futility will come to an end."

1.142.26 Arjuna said: "Or if you think this rākṣasa too heavy a burden in battle, I will help you — let him be slain quickly."

1.142.27 "Or I myself will slay him, O wolf-belly — you have done great deeds and are exhausted. Do take rest for a while."

1.142.28 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing those words, the exceedingly wrathful Bhīmasena crushed the rākṣasa forcibly against the earth and killed him like a sacrificial animal.

1.142.29 As he was being killed by Bhīma, he let out a great loud cry that filled the entire forest, like a drum soaked in water.

1.142.30 That powerful son of Pāṇḍu, wrapping him with his arms, broke him at the waist — and that mighty hero delighted the Pāṇḍavas.

1.142.31 Seeing Hiḍimba slain, those swift heroes rejoiced and honored Bhīmasena, that tiger among men, that subduer of foes.

1.142.32 Having duly honored the great-souled Bhīma of terrible valor, Arjuna again spoke these words to that wolf-bellied one:

1.142.33 "I think a city is not far from this forest, lord. Let us go quickly — good fortune to you. Let Suyodhana not find us out."

1.142.34 Then all of them, those scorchers of foes, those tigers among men, said "So be it" and departed along with their mother — and Hiḍimbā the rākṣasī went with them.

1.143.1 Bhīma said: "Rākṣasas remember enmity and resort to bewildering illusion, Hiḍimbā — go you on the path trodden by your brother."

1.143.2 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Even in your anger, O tiger among men, Bhīma, do not slay a woman — guard dharma, which is greater than protecting the body. Guard it, O Pāṇḍava."

1.143.3 You slew that mighty demon who came with murderous intent — what then can his sister do to us, even if she is enraged?

1.143.4 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hiḍimbā then bowed before Kuntī with joined palms and spoke these words to Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī.

1.143.5 "O noble lady, you know what suffering arises in women from the god of love — that very affliction, caused by Bhīmasena, has now come upon me, O auspicious one.

1.143.6 I have endured that supreme anguish while biding my time — and now that moment has arrived, which shall bring me happiness at last.

1.143.7 For I abandoned my friends, my own dharma, and my own people, and chose this tiger among men, your son, as my husband, O auspicious one.

1.143.8 Yet even though I spoke in this way, I was rejected by this man — and by you too, O illustrious one — regarding the act I sought.

1.143.9 Whether you consider me foolish or devoted and submissive, O greatly fortunate one, please unite me with your son as my husband.

1.143.10 Taking him — who is beautiful as a god — I shall go wherever I wish, and I shall return again; place your trust in me, O auspicious one.

1.143.11 For when summoned in thought, I shall always carry all of you away; I shall deliver these bull-like men from danger and through difficult passages.

1.143.12 I shall carry you all on my back, as swift as you could desire — grant me your grace, and let Bhīmasena take me as his wife."

1.143.13 By whatever means one may sustain one's life in crossing calamities, all of that must be done with care — for it is dharma that guides such action.

1.143.14 The highest knower of dharma is one who upholds dharma even in misfortune — for indeed, calamity itself is said to be the test of dharma for the righteous.

1.143.15 Virtue sustains life; virtue is what is called life-giving — whatever means one employs to practise dharma, no blame attaches to that.

1.143.16 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "It is exactly as you have said, Hiḍimbā — there is no doubt in this. But you must abide by dharma as I shall prescribe, O slender-waisted one.

1.143.17 Having bathed and completed the daily rites, and with auspicious ornaments put on, you may enjoy Bhīmasena's company, O blessed one, before the sun sets.

1.143.18 During the daytime roam with him as you wish, O swift as thought — but Bhīmasena must be brought back to us every night."

1.143.19 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Agreeing to this with the words "so be it," the rakshasi Hiḍimbā thereupon took Bhīmasena and soared up into the sky.

1.143.20 On the lovely peaks of mountains, in the sanctuaries of the gods, in places always charming and resounding with the cries of deer and birds —

1.143.21 — assuming her most beautiful form, adorned with all ornaments, conversing with sweetest words, she delighted the son of Pāṇḍu.

1.143.22 Likewise on the steep slopes of forests adorned with flowering trees, at lovely lakes covered with lotuses and water-lilies,

1.143.23 on river islands and shore-lands, on sands gleaming like beryl, at forest streams with good fords, and at mountain rivers,

1.143.24 on shores of the ocean strewn with gems and gold, in beautiful harbor-towns, and in great forests of śāla trees,

1.143.25 in sacred groves of the gods and on mountain plateaus, in the abodes of the Guhyakas and in the hermitages of ascetics,

1.143.26 at the Mānasa lakes bearing fruits and flowers of every season — bearing her most beautiful form, she delighted the son of Pāṇḍu.

1.143.27 As she thus sported with Bhīma here and there, swift as thought, the rakshasi conceived and bore from Bhīmasena a mighty son.

1.143.28 He had misshapen eyes and a huge mouth; his ears were spike-like; he was terrifying to behold; his form was fearsome; his lips were copper-red; his teeth were sharp; and he was immensely powerful.

1.143.29 He was a mighty archer, of great valor, great strength, mighty-armed, of great speed, of great body, possessed of great illusions, and a subduer of enemies.

1.143.30 Non-human yet born of a human, of terrible speed and great power — he surpassed other piśācas exceedingly, just as he surpassed ordinary humans.

1.143.31 Even as a child he attained youth — O lord of the people — and that mighty hero achieved supreme excellence in all weapons.

1.143.32 For rakshasa women conceive and give birth at once; they can assume any form at will and take on many shapes.

1.143.33 Bowing in reverence, Vikaca — that greatest of archers — clasped the feet of both his father and his mother, and they gave him his name.

1.143.34 He addressed his mother as "Ghaṭabhāsotkaca," and from that name his own name became Ghaṭotkaca — so it is told.

1.143.35 Ghaṭotkaca was devoted to the Pāṇḍavas, and he became always dear to them, as if he were one of themselves.

1.143.36 Then Hiḍimbā spoke to him saying "the time of our living together is spent" — and having made her covenant, she returned to her own way.

1.143.37 "I shall come to you, O fathers, when the time of need arrives" — saying this, Ghaṭotkaca, foremost of rakshasas, took leave and departed toward the northern direction.

1.143.38 For he had been created by the great Indra, the lord of treasures, for the sake of the śakti weapon — to be the instrument of death for the irresistibly mighty Karṇa.

1.144.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Those heroes, those great warriors, hastening onward, passed from forest to forest, slaying many herds of deer as they went, O king.

1.144.2 Passing through the lands of the Matsyas, Trigartas, Pāñcālas, and Kīcakas, they looked upon lovely forest regions and lakes.

1.144.3 All of them, those great souls, had matted their hair; they were clad in bark garments and deer-skins; along with Kuntī they bore the appearance of ascetics.

1.144.4 Sometimes those great warriors carried their mother in haste; sometimes they moved at their own pace — and so they journeyed on repeatedly.

1.144.5 Studying the Vedas of Brahmā, all the Vedic auxiliaries, and the science of statecraft, those knowers of dharma beheld their grandfather.

1.144.6 They bowed in reverence to that great soul, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, and then all of them, scorchers of foes, stood with joined palms, together with their mother.

1.144.7 Vyāsa said: "O bulls of the Bhārata line, I had known this beforehand in my mind — how you were exiled through the unrighteous conduct of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.144.8 Knowing that, I have come, wishing to do what is supremely good for you. No despondency should be felt here — all of this will lead to your happiness.

1.144.9 They are all equal to me, and you as well — there is no doubt of this. Kinsmen form attachments from helplessness and from childhood alike.

1.144.10 Therefore my affection for you is especially great at this time. I wish to do what is beneficial for you, out of that love — hear this from me.

1.144.11 Near here is a beautiful and wholesome city — dwell there in concealment, awaiting my return."

1.144.12 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having thus comforted those sons of Pṛthā, the tamers of foes, the lord Vyāsa went to Ekacakrā and comforted Kuntī.

1.144.13 "Long live your sons, O daughter — this son of yours, Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, shall rule as king of dharma over all the kings of the earth.

1.144.14 Knowing dharma, self-controlled, he shall conquer the entire earth by dharma and enjoy it with the strength of Bhīmasena and Arjuna — of this there is no doubt.

1.144.15 Both your sons and the sons of Mādrī — all of them great warriors — shall then sport happily and with joyful minds in their own kingdom.

1.144.16 These tigers among men shall, having conquered this earth, perform great sacrifices — the Rājasūya, the Aśvamedha, and others — with abundant sacrificial fees.

1.144.17 Bestowing favour upon their circle of friends with wealth and happiness, your sons shall here enjoy the kingdom of their fathers and grandfathers."

1.144.18 Having spoken thus and settled them in the dwelling of a brahmin, the sage Dvaipāyana then spoke to the best of princes, Yudhiṣṭhira.

1.144.19 "Await me here — I shall come again. Knowing the right place and time, you shall attain the highest joy."

1.144.20 Answered with "so be it" by all of them with joined palms, O lord of men, the blessed sage Vyāsa, the lord, departed as he wished.

1.145.1 Janamejaya said: "After those mighty warriors, the sons of Kuntī, had gone to Ekacakrā, what did the Pāṇḍavas do next, O best of the twice-born?"

1.145.2 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Those mighty warriors, the sons of Kuntī, having gone to Ekacakrā, dwelt for no very long time in the dwelling of a brahmin.

1.145.3 They beheld the charming forests, various and beautiful, and royal districts too, and rivers and lakes.

1.145.4 They wandered begging for alms, all of them, O lord of the people, and by their own virtues became dear to the eyes of the townspeople.

1.145.5 Every evening they would present the alms they had gathered to Kuntī; and they would eat the portions she distributed, each separately.

1.145.6 Half of the food those heroes, those scorchers of foes, ate together with their mother; the other half of all the alms the mighty Bhīma ate alone.

1.145.7 Now while those great souls were dwelling there, O king, a very long time passed, O bull of the Bhārata line.

1.145.8 Then one day those bulls of the Bhārata line had gone out to beg for alms, and by chance Bhīmasena remained there with Pṛthā.

1.145.9 Then Kuntī heard a great and terrible sound of anguish rising loudly from within the brahmin's dwelling, O descendant of Bharata.

1.145.10 Hearing all of them weeping and lamenting, the queen, O king, could not bear it out of compassion and her naturally noble disposition.

1.145.11 With her heart churning as if with grief, the auspicious Pṛthā then spoke these words of compassion to Bhīma.

1.145.12 "We are dwelling in great happiness, my son, in this brahmin's house — unknown to the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, honoured and free from anger.

1.145.13 I always think, my son, 'What can I do that is dear to this brahmin?' — just as those who dwell as guests should do to bring happiness to the household.

1.145.14 A man is as great as the good deed he does that does not perish — and as long as another might do something for him, he should do something more than that.

1.145.15 Now some definite sorrow has fallen upon this brahmin — if we were to help him in it, that would be a meritorious deed."

1.145.16 Bhīma said: "Let us find out what his sorrow is and from where it has arisen — once it is known, I shall resolve it, even if it should be exceedingly difficult."

1.145.17 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: While the two of them were speaking thus, they again heard the sound of anguish from that brahmin along with his wife, O lord of the people.

1.145.18 Kuntī then quickly entered the inner apartments of that noble brahmin, like a cow hastening toward her tethered calf.

1.145.19 She then saw that brahmin there with his wife, his son, and his daughter — all of them with distorted faces.

1.145.20 The brahmin said: "Fie upon this life in the world — it is insubstantial as fire, purposeless, rooted in sorrow, dependent on others, and greatly burdened with the unpleasant.

1.145.21 In living there is supreme sorrow; in living there is supreme fever; for one who lives in the world, the coming of life's opposites is inevitable.

1.145.22 Even a single person cannot fully pursue dharma, artha, and kama all at once; and separation from these too is considered the greatest sorrow.

1.145.23 Some declare liberation to be the highest good, but that can never be attained; and in the acquisition of wealth, the whole of hell is incurred.

1.145.24 In desiring wealth there is supreme sorrow; in the actual gaining of wealth there is even more; and for one who has grown attached to riches, separation from them is the greatest sorrow of all.

1.145.25 For I see no means by which I might escape this calamity and flee safely together with my wife and child.

1.145.26 I have indeed striven before, as you well know, O Brahmin woman; yet you have not heeded my words about where we might go in safety.

1.145.27 'I was born here and grew up here, and my father too is here' — so you have said, O foolish one, even as I beseeched you again and again.

1.145.28 Your aged father has gone to heaven, and your mother has long since passed away; your former kinsmen too are gone — what delight then is there in dwelling here?

1.145.29 This ruin of our kin has now come upon you — you who longed for kinship yet would not hear my words — and it brings me the deepest grief.

1.145.30 Or rather, this is my own ruin; for I cannot abandon any of my kin of my own accord and live on in cruel indifference.

1.145.31 She who walks the path of dharma with me, who is self-restrained, who is ever like a mother to me, who was ordained by the gods as my companion and my highest refuge —

1.145.32 — she who was appointed by my mother and father to share always in the householder's life, whom I chose according to law and wed with sacred mantras —

1.145.33 — this noble and virtuous wife, the mother of my children, who has never done me wrong, who is ever devoted to me — I cannot abandon her to save my own life.

1.145.34 Still less could I abandon my daughter — a mere child, not yet come of age, in whom the marks of womanhood have not yet appeared.

1.145.35 She was entrusted to me as a sacred deposit by the great-souled Creator for her future husband's sake; and through her I hope to attain the worlds of my grandsons together with the ancestors. How can I bring myself to abandon this child whom I myself have brought into the world?

1.145.36 Some men hold that a father's love for his son is greater than for his daughter; yet in my view both are equal.

1.145.37 In her rest the worlds, my lineage, and perpetual happiness. How then can I bring myself to abandon this innocent child?

1.145.38 Even if I abandoned myself and passed under the power of the dead, those I left behind could clearly not survive here.

1.145.39 The abandonment of any one of these is cruel and condemned by the wise; and if I were to abandon myself, these too would perish without me.

1.145.40 Thus fallen into this terrible strait, I am unable to cross over this calamity. Alas, what course shall I take today? To die together with all my kin would be better; life without them I cannot endure.

1.146.1 The Brahmin woman said: You must not grieve like an ordinary man. This is no time for lamentation; you who know the remedies have no occasion for despair.

1.146.2 All human beings must inevitably go to their death here; for what is unavoidable, grief serves no purpose.

1.146.3 Wife, son, and daughter — all are cherished for one's own sake. Cast off your anguish with clear understanding; I myself shall go there.

1.146.4 This indeed is the supreme and eternal duty of a woman in the world: that she act for her husband's welfare even at the cost of her own life.

1.146.5 Such a deed done there will bring you happiness even in this world, imperishable reward in the next, and glory in both worlds.

1.146.6 This is the highest dharma which I shall declare to you; your true purpose and your dharma are both abundantly manifest in this course.

1.146.7 The purpose for which a wife is desired has been fulfilled in me by you: a daughter and a son have been born, and I have been set free of debt by you.

1.146.8 You are capable of nourishing and protecting the two children; I, however, am not equally able to protect and nourish the two of them.

1.146.9 For me, bereft of you, all desires would be calamity: how could the two young children fare, and how indeed could I myself fare?

1.146.10 How, widowed and helpless, with infant children, without you, shall I sustain the two of us while remaining on the path trodden by the virtuous?

1.146.11 With arrogant and insolent men importuning this daughter of mine, men unworthy of alliance with you — how shall I be able to protect her?

1.146.12 Just as birds swoop upon flesh thrown to the ground, so all men importune a woman who is without a hero to protect her.

1.146.13 Shaken thus and importuned by wicked men, I shall not be able to remain on the path beloved of the righteous, O best of twice-born.

1.146.14 How can I bring myself to set this solitary, unformed girl of your lineage on the path of her fathers and grandfathers?

1.146.15 How shall I be able to instil in this child the virtues that are desired, she who is helpless and abandoned on all sides — as you, who perceive dharma, could have done?

1.146.16 Disregarding me and treating this orphaned girl of yours with contempt, unworthy men will importune her — as Śūdras importune the hearing of the Veda.

1.146.17 And if I were to refuse to give her away, one endowed with your virtues, those men would violently carry her off, as crows snatch the oblation from a sacrifice.

1.146.18 Watching your son, who seems unworthy even of me, and this daughter of yours as well fallen into the power of the unworthy —

1.146.19 — scorned by the world, not knowing what I myself am worth, at the hands of insolent men, O Brahmin, I shall surely die. There is no doubt of this.

1.146.20 Those two children of mine, bereft of me and of you, would perish without doubt — like two fish when their water dries up.

1.146.21 All three of us will surely perish in every way, bereft of you. Therefore you ought to abandon me.

1.146.22 This is the highest fulfilment for women: that the husband's welfare comes first and is the highest goal; but not, O Brahmin, to remain spinning in the domain of one's sons.

1.146.23 This son has been forsaken by me, and this daughter likewise; kinsmen too have been forsaken, and my very life — all for your sake.

1.146.24 Over sacrifices, austerities, observances, and various acts of giving, a woman's constant devotion to the welfare and happiness of her husband is far superior.

1.146.25 That which I am about to do is righteous and supremely approved; it is what is desired and beneficial — for you and for your lineage alike.

1.146.26 Even children dear to one, one's wealth, cherished friends — and even a wife — may be given up, according to the opinion of the good, to secure release by the law in times of calamity.

1.146.27 On one side the entire lineage, on the other a single self, O increaser of the family — the wise have firmly concluded that all the rest together are not equal to the self.

1.146.28 Therefore, act together with me in what must be done; save yourself by yourself. Give me leave, O noble one, and protect our two children.

1.146.29 Those who know dharma say in their determination of dharma that women must not be killed; and they call rakshasas knowers of dharma — so he should not kill me either.

1.146.30 The killing of a man is certain; the killing of a woman is uncertain. Therefore, O knower of dharma, you ought to send me instead.

1.146.31 I have enjoyed pleasant things and obtained what I desired; I have lived according to dharma; I have gained the cherished fruit of being born of you. I shall not grieve at death.

1.146.32 I am one who has borne a son, who is mature, and who has always sought your happiness. Considering all this, I now resolve upon this course.

1.146.33 Even when you have let me go, O noble one, you will take another wife; and thus your dharma will again be established.

1.146.34 Nor is it adharma for men to have many wives, O auspicious one; but for women the adharma is very great in transgressing against a prior husband.

1.146.35 Considering all this, and that self-destruction is condemned, save yourself through me; and save the lineage and these two children.

1.146.36 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by her, the husband, O Bhārata, embraced her and, together with his wife, slowly shed tears, deeply afflicted with grief.

1.147.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing those excessively sorrowful words of the two grief-stricken ones, the daughter, whose limbs were overwhelmed with intense grief, spoke to them both.

1.147.2 Why do you two, so deeply afflicted with grief, cry out like those who are helpless? Let something of mine be heard as well; and having heard it, do what is fit.

1.147.3 By dharma I am the one to be abandoned by the two of you — there is no doubt in this. Abandon me, she who is fit to be abandoned, and everything will be saved by me alone.

1.147.4 For this very reason offspring are desired — 'it will save me,' one thinks. Now that this occasion has arrived, use me as a raft to cross over.

1.147.5 Whether one saves from a danger here in this life or saves after death in the next — in every way a son saves; that is why the wise call him 'putra' (son, saviour).

1.147.6 Grandfathers also always long for their daughter's sons; I shall myself rescue them by protecting my father's life.

1.147.7 And this little brother of mine — if you, father, were to pass to yonder world, he would surely perish within no long time. There is no doubt of this.

1.147.8 For if father goes to heaven and my younger brother also perishes, the ancestral oblations would be cut off — and that would be displeasing to them.

1.147.9 Abandoned by my father, and likewise by my mother, and by my brother, there is no doubt that I, not accustomed to such, would die, having fallen into a grief worse than grief.

1.147.10 But if you are safely delivered, unharmed, then my mother, my young brother, the continuation of the lineage, and the ancestral oblations will all without doubt be established.

1.147.11 Oneself, one's son, a friend — that is a wife; a daughter is truly a burden, so they say. Therefore, free yourself from this burden and assign me to dharma.

1.147.12 Helpless, pitiable, a child, wandering wherever I may — I shall be wretched without you, father. Alas, how pitiable!

1.147.13 Or rather, I shall achieve the liberation of this family; I shall have attained the fruit of my existence by performing this most difficult deed.

1.147.14 Or if you go there leaving me behind, O best of twice-born, I shall be afflicted — consider me as well in this.

1.147.15 Therefore, for our sake, for the sake of dharma, and for the sake of progeny, O virtuous one, protect yourself; and abandon me, who am fit to be abandoned.

1.147.16 In this matter which must inevitably be done, let not this moment pass you by. The water-oblation given by you will be of benefit to me.

1.147.17 What greater grief could there be than this — that we, with you gone to heaven, should run about begging food from others like dogs?

1.147.18 But if you are delivered safely, unharmed, from this affliction, with your kinsmen alive, I, dwelling in this world, shall be filled with happiness.

1.147.19 Hearing her lamentation of many kinds, the father, the mother, and the daughter herself all three wept aloud.

1.147.20 Then, hearing all of them weeping, the young son of the two of them, a mere boy with wide-open eyes, spoke softly in indistinct words.

1.147.21 Saying 'Do not weep, father; do not weep, mother; do not weep, sister,' he approached them one by one, seeming almost to smile.

1.147.22 Then he picked up a blade of grass and, joyful, spoke again: 'With this I shall slay that man-eating Rākṣasa!'

1.147.23 Even so, hearing those indistinct words of the child, great joy arose among them who were overcome with grief.

1.147.24 Recognizing that the moment had come, Kuntī approached them — as if reviving those at the point of death with nectar — and spoke these words.

1.148.1 Kuntī said: I wish to know the root cause of this grief in truth; and having known it, I would remove it, if it can indeed be removed.

1.148.2 The Brahmin said: What you say, O rich in austerity, is fitting for those who are good; yet this grief cannot be dispelled by a human being.

1.148.3 Near this city there lives a Rākṣasa named Baka, who is the lord of this countryside and of this town, and who is of great might.

1.148.4 Nourished on human flesh, evil-minded, a devourer of men, this powerful one perpetually protects this countryside from other demons.

1.148.5 Attended by the power of that demon, both the city and the country are protected — because of him we have no fear from enemy armies or from spirits.

1.148.6 His appointed wage has been fixed: a cartload of rice, two buffaloes, and a single man — whoever carries that food goes to him.

1.148.7 Each family in turn delivers that food; the rotation comes around again only after many years, yet it costs men their lives — a burden impossible to bear.

1.148.8 And those men who have anywhere tried to liberate themselves from this — the demon has killed them together with their wives and children and devoured them.

1.148.9 The king dwelling in the Vetrakīya house has not adopted a policy here by which the lasting welfare of these people could be assured today.

1.148.10 We who live under the dominion of this weak man, constantly full of dread, sheltering under a bad king — we deserve precisely this fate.

1.148.11 To whom should brahmins speak, or those who wander as they please? These men of virtue are tamed by their own good qualities, like free-flying birds caught in a snare.

1.148.12 One should first find a king, then a wife, then wealth; and when those three are secured, one can then support one's kinsmen and children.

1.148.13 But I have acquired all three of these in the wrong order — and having now reached this calamity, we shall suffer greatly.

1.148.14 This turn — the destroyer of our family — has now come round to us; I must deliver as his wage one man along with the food.

1.148.15 I have no money anywhere to purchase a man, nor can I in any way give a friend; I see no way of escape from that demon.

1.148.16 Sunk thus deeply in this vast, uncrossable ocean of grief, I shall go today together with these relatives to the demon — and then that wretched creature will devour all of us together.

1.149.1 Kuntī said: You must not give way to despair or to any fear on our account — a means of deliverance from that demon has been perceived here.

1.149.2 You have one young son, one ascetic daughter, and your wife — I do not favour the going of any of those three there.

1.149.3 I have five sons, O brahmin; one of them shall go on your behalf, carrying the food-offering for that wicked demon.

1.149.4 The brahmin said: I will not do this — not for my own life's sake, not under any circumstances — this severing of a brahmin guest from his life for my own benefit.

1.149.5 Not even among those of ignoble birth or unrighteous conduct is such a thing found — that one would sacrifice oneself or one's own child for the sake of a brahmin.

1.149.6 I hold it my duty to seek my own good; and whether it be the sin of killing a brahmin or the killing of myself, the death of myself is better for me.

1.149.7 The killing of a brahmin is the supreme sin, and there is no expiation for it; even if done without prior intent, my own death is better for me.

1.149.8 Yet I do not myself desire my own death, O auspicious one — when death is brought about by others, no sin whatsoever falls on me.

1.149.9 In the deliberate killing of a brahmin by me I see no expiation; it is both cruel and base.

1.149.10 To abandon one who has come to one's house, likewise one who has sought shelter, and to cause the death of one who is supplicating — these are considered the ultimate cruelty.

1.149.11 "One should never perform a censurable or cruel act" — so the great-souled men of former times, who knew the dharma of emergencies, have declared.

1.149.12 But my own destruction today, together with my wife, is better — I will not in any way consent to the killing of a brahmin.

1.149.13 Kuntī said: My own resolve too is firm, O brahmin — brahmins must be protected; nor would a son be unwanted by me even if I had a hundred sons.

1.149.14 And that demon is not capable of destroying my son — my son is mighty, accomplished through sacred formulas, and full of blazing energy.

1.149.15 He will deliver all that food to the demon and will free himself — such is my firm conviction.

1.149.16 For demons — powerful, huge-bodied — have met that hero before and have been seen by him, and many have been slain by him.

1.149.17 But this must not be told to anyone at all, O brahmin — for those in pursuit of learning would, out of curiosity, interfere with my sons.

1.149.18 "That son of mine who has not been released by his guru should not employ that power" — such is the view of the righteous.

1.149.19 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by Pṛthā, that brahmin together with his wife, rejoicing, honoured her speech as equal to nectar.

1.149.20 Then Kuntī and the brahmin together addressed the son of the Wind: "Do it" — and he answered them: "So be it."

1.150.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When Bhīma had pledged "I shall do it," O descendant of Bharata, all the Pāṇḍavas then returned, having collected their alms.

1.150.2 Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Pāṇḍu, reading the situation from Bhīma's very bearing, sat apart alone and then questioned his mother.

1.150.3 "What deed does this Bhīma of terrible valour intend to do? Is this that he wishes to do here done with your consent?"

1.150.4 Kuntī said: At my own bidding this scorcher of foes will perform a great deed — for the sake of the brahmin and for the deliverance of the city.

1.150.5 Yudhiṣṭhira said: What rash and reckless wrong has been done by you? Good men do not praise the abandonment of a son.

1.150.6 How can you wish to abandon your own son for the sake of another's? What you have done by giving up a son is contrary to the practice of the world.

1.150.7 Relying on whose arms we all sleep in comfort — it is by relying on them that we hope to win back the kingdom stolen by wicked men.

1.150.8 Thinking on whose valour — his, of boundless might — Duryodhana spends all his nights sleepless with grief, together with Śakuni.

1.150.9 By the valour of this hero we were freed from the house of lac; and from other wicked men too, and Purоcana was slain.

1.150.10 Relying on whose might we think it possible to gain this earth full of riches — after slaying the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.150.11 Resorting to what reasoning have you decided to abandon him? Has your mind perhaps been deranged by grief — have you lost your senses?

1.150.12 Kuntī said: Yudhiṣṭhira, you must have no anguish regarding Vṛkodara — nor has this resolve been made by me out of weakness of mind.

1.150.13 Here in the brahmin's house, my son, we have dwelt in comfort; this repayment to him has been carefully considered by me. Only so great a person is one in whom a good deed is not lost.

1.150.14 Having seen Bhīma's great heroism in the house of lac at that time, and also from the slaying of Hiḍimba — my trust in Vṛkodara is firm.

1.150.15 For the strength of Bhīma's arms is great — equal to ten thousand elephants — by which you, resembling great elephants yourselves, were carried out from Vāraṇāvata.

1.150.16 There is no other equal to Vṛkodara in strength — there has been none, nor shall there be — who could rise against even the greatest in battle, even the wielder of the thunderbolt himself.

1.150.17 Long ago, when he was just born, he fell from my lap onto a mountain — because of the heaviness of his body, the rock was shattered by his limbs.

1.150.18 Recalling that, O Pāṇḍava, with discernment — Bhīma's strength — and also the brahmin's need for repayment, I then formed this resolve.

1.150.19 This was not decided out of greed, nor out of ignorance, nor out of delusion — my effort for dharma has been undertaken with full deliberation.

1.150.20 Two purposes will both be accomplished, Yudhiṣṭhira: repayment for our lodging, and the practice of great dharma.

1.150.21 "A kṣatriya who ever renders assistance to a brahmin in his needs attains auspicious worlds" — thus have I heard.

1.150.22 A kṣatriya who brings about the liberation from death even of another kṣatriya alone wins great fame in this world and in the next.

1.150.23 And a kṣatriya who renders assistance even to a vaiśya in battle will assuredly delight the people in all the worlds.

1.150.24 And a king who saves a śūdra who has come seeking refuge — he gains birth here in a family that is prosperous and honoured by kings.

1.150.25 So the blessed Vyāsa, that wise man, declared this very clearly long ago, O joy of the Kuru line — therefore this is what I intend to do.

1.150.26 Yudhiṣṭhira said: This is fitting, mother — what you have done with full deliberation, out of compassion for a brahmin in distress. Bhīma will certainly return after slaying the man-eater.

1.150.27 But the brahmin must be instructed and carefully persuaded in such a way that the townspeople do not come to know of this.

1.151.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, when the night had passed, the Pāṇḍava Bhīmasena took the food and went to the place where that man-eater dwelt.

1.151.2 And having reached the forest of that demon, the mighty Pāṇḍava called out to him by name, helping himself to the food.

1.151.3 Then that demon, hearing Bhīmasena's words, came in a great rage to where Bhīma stood.

1.151.4 Huge-bodied and of immense speed, seeming to cleave the earth, having drawn his brows into a three-peaked frown and biting his lip —

1.151.5 — seeing Bhīmasena eating the food, that demon, furious, opened wide his eyes and spoke these words:

1.151.6 "Who is this fool of corrupt mind who eats this food prepared for me, before my very eyes — who wishes to go to the abode of Yama?"

1.151.7 But Bhīmasena, hearing that, O Bhārata, as if laughing, paid no heed to that demon and ate on, turning his back to him.

1.151.8 Then, raising both his arms and uttering a terrible roar, that man-eater charged at Bhīmasena, intending to kill him.

1.151.9 Even then, utterly disregarding him and not looking at the demon, Vṛkodara, the Pāṇḍava, slayer of enemy heroes, simply went on eating the food.

1.151.10 Filled with wrath, the demon stood behind Kuntī's son and struck him on the back with both his palms.

1.151.11 Though struck hard on the back by that powerful being with his palms, Bhīma did not even glance at the demon — he simply went on eating.

1.151.12 Then, enraged still further, that mighty demon seized a tree and charged at Bhīma again, intending to strike him.

1.151.13 Then Bhīma, that bull among men, finished eating the food at his leisure, sipped water, and stood up in the field of battle, greatly pleased — that mighty-armed one.

1.151.14 The valiant Bhīma caught the tree hurled by the enraged demon with his left hand, as if laughing, O Bhārata.

1.151.15 Then that mighty one lifted up many more trees of various kinds and flung them at Bhīmasena — and the Pāṇḍava Bhīma flung them back at him.

1.151.16 That battle of trees — great, terrible in form, devastating to the forest — took place between Baka and the Pāṇḍava, O great king.

1.151.17 Then Baka, shouting his name aloud, rushed at the Pāṇḍava and seized mighty Bhīmasena with both his arms.

1.151.18 And Bhīmasena too, great-armed and mighty, threw his arms around that demon and, as he struggled with great force, dragged him away by sheer power.

1.151.19 Dragged by Bhīma and dragging the Pāṇḍava in turn, that man-eater was overcome by extreme exhaustion.

1.151.20 By their great force the earth trembled, and they pulverised the mighty trees standing around them.

1.151.21 But seeing that demon weakening, O bull of the Bhāratas, Vṛkodara pressed him down onto the ground with both his hands and struck him.

1.151.22 Then pressing down on its back with his knee, he forcibly seized the demon's neck with his right arm.

1.151.23 And with his left hand grasping the demon by the waist and garment, the Pāṇḍava bent that rakshasa double, while it roared terrifying cries.

1.151.24 Then blood poured from the mouth of that fearsome demon, O lord of men, as it was broken apart by Bhīma.

1.152.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Terrified by that sound, O king, the household of that demon rushed out of the house together with all its attendants.

1.152.2 The mighty Bhīma, foremost among warriors, pacified those who were frightened and bewildered, and made them agree to a covenant.

1.152.3 "Never again shall you harm human beings here at any time; for those who harm others shall meet swift death just like this," he declared.

1.152.4 Hearing those words, O Bhārata, those demons said "So be it" to him and accepted that covenant.

1.152.5 From that time forward, O Bhārata, only gentle demons appeared in that town, seen by the men who dwelt in the city.

1.152.6 Then Bhīma, taking up that man-eating demon whose life had departed, threw it down at the city gate and departed undetected.

1.152.7 Then that Bhīma, having slain the demon, went to that brahmin's dwelling and reported to the king everything that had happened, omitting nothing.

1.152.8 Then people came out of the city in the early morning and saw the demon lying slain on the ground, drenched in blood.

1.152.9 Others went to Ekacakrā and spread the news of that demon lying sprawled out, resembling a mountain peak, frightful to behold.

1.152.10 Then thousands of people from the city, O king, came there to see Baka — men, women, elders, and children alike.

1.152.11 Then all of them, amazed upon seeing that superhuman feat, worshipped the gods, every single one of them, O lord of men.

1.152.12 Then they began to reckon whose turn it was that day to supply food; and learning this, all of them came to that brahmin and asked him about it.

1.152.13 Questioned thus many times, and still protecting the Pāṇḍavas, that foremost of brahmins then spoke these words to all the townspeople.

1.152.14 "As I was ordered to provide food and was weeping together with my kinsmen, a certain brahmin of great power, perfected in sacred formulas, saw me."

1.152.15 "Having first asked me about my distress and the town's affliction, that best of brahmins consoled me and, smiling slightly, said:"

1.152.16 "'I shall deliver this food to that evil-souled one myself; on my account there is no cause for fear,' said that heroic one."

1.152.17 "He took that food and went toward the forest of Baka — by him surely this deed has been done for the welfare of the world."

1.152.18 Then all those brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras, filled with great wonder and joy, celebrated a festival in honor of the brahmins.

1.152.19 Then all the country folk came to the city to see that most wondrous event, while the sons of Pṛthā continued to dwell there.

1.153.1 Janamejaya said: After those tiger-like men had slain the demon Baka, O brahmin, what did the Pāṇḍavas do from that time onward?

1.153.2 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: They continued to dwell there, O king, after slaying the demon Baka, studying the highest sacred texts in the brahmin's abode.

1.153.3 Then after a few days, a brahmin of sharpened vows came to that brahmin's house seeking lodging.

1.153.4 That learned foremost of brahmins, always devoted to the vow of hospitality to all guests, honored him properly and gave him lodging.

1.153.5 Then all those Pāṇḍavas, bulls among men, together with Kuntī, sat in attendance upon that brahmin as he was narrating stories.

1.153.6 He spoke of various lands, various sacred pilgrimage sites, various conduct and practices of kings, and various ancient cities.

1.153.7 At the end of his narratives there, O Janamejaya, that brahmin described the wondrous swayamvara of Yājñasenī among the Pāñcālas.

1.153.8 He described the birth of Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the birth of Śikhaṇḍī, and the womb-less origin of Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) at Drupada's great sacrifice.

1.153.9 Having heard that most wondrous account of that great-souled man, those bulls among men asked him to tell the story in full detail.

1.153.10 "How was the wondrous birth of Drupada's son Dhṛṣṭadyumna from fire? And how was the wondrous birth of Kṛṣṇā from the midst of the sacrificial altar?"

1.153.11 "How did Dhṛṣṭadyumna learn all weapons from the great archer Droṇa? And how were those two dear friends separated, and by whose doing?"

1.153.12 Thus prompted by those bulls among men, O king, that brahmin then narrated everything regarding the birth of Draupadī.

1.154.1 The brahmin said: Near the gateway to the Gaṅgā there lived a great sage of great austerities — Bharadvāja, supremely wise and ever firm in his vows.

1.154.2 He went to bathe in the Gaṅgā, and there the sage saw the apsara Ghṛtācī, who had arrived earlier and was bathing.

1.154.3 The wind carried away her garment on the river bank at that moment; seeing her with her clothing torn away, the sage was overcome with desire.

1.154.4 The mind of that celibate who had practiced chastity from boyhood became attached to her; overcome with rapture, his seed fell — and the sage Droṇa held it in a vessel.

1.154.5 From that, the boy Droṇa was born of that wise man; he studied the Vedas and all the Vedic auxiliaries in their entirety.

1.154.6 Now a king named Pṛṣata was a friend of Bharadvāja; and of him too there was born a son named Drupada at that time.

1.154.7 That son of Pṛṣata, bull among kshatriyas, would always go to the hermitage and together with Droṇa would sport and study.

1.154.8 After Pṛṣata passed away, Drupada became king; and Droṇa heard that Rāma was giving away all his wealth.

1.154.9 To Rāma who was departing to the forest, the son of Bharadvāja said: "Know me, O best of twice-born, as Droṇa, who has come seeking wealth."

1.154.10 Rāma said: Only my body alone remains to me now as my possession; choose either my weapons or my body, O brahmin — one or the other.

1.154.11 Droṇa said: You should give me all weapons, together with their means of withdrawal, and the method of application of each and every one of them.

1.154.12 The brahmin said: Saying "So be it," the son of Bhṛgu thereupon gave them to him; having received them, Droṇa then considered his purpose accomplished.

1.154.13 Overjoyed in heart, having received from Rāma the most excellent Brahmāstra, he became superior to all men.

1.154.14 Then the powerful son of Bharadvāja, tiger among men, approached Drupada and said: "Know me as your friend."

1.154.15 Drupada said: A non-vedic scholar cannot be the friend of a vedic scholar; a non-chariot-warrior cannot be the friend of a chariot-warrior; nor can a non-king be the friend of a king — what does this former friendship matter?

1.154.16 The brahmin said: Having decided in his mind, that wise man set out toward Pāñcāla and went to the city of the chief Kurus, called Nagasahvaya (Hāstinapura).

1.154.17 Bhīṣma, upon his arrival, gave the wise Droṇa his grandsons along with various riches, as pupils.

1.154.18 Then the learned Droṇa, having assembled all his pupils, spoke these words for the purpose of bringing grief to Drupada:

1.154.19 "Something in the way of a teacher's fee turns over in my heart; when you have mastered weapons, that should be given — tell me truly, O sinless ones."

1.154.20 And when all the Pāṇḍavas had mastered weapons and completed their training, Droṇa spoke these words again regarding the teacher's fee:

1.154.21 "Let the kingdom of Drupada, son of Pṛṣata, ruler of Chatravati, be swiftly seized and given to me."

1.154.22 Then the five sons of Pāṇḍu, having defeated Drupada in battle, brought him bound together with his ministers before Droṇa.

1.154.23 Droṇa said: "I desire friendship with you once again, O lord of men; for it is said that a non-king cannot deserve to be friend to a king."

1.154.24 "Therefore I have striven in your kingdom, O Yajñasena; you are king of the southern bank of the Bhāgīrathī, and I of the northern."

1.154.25 The brahmin said: That great insult never left the king's heart even for a moment; downcast in mind, he grew thin.

1.155.1 The brahmin said: King Drupada, burning with resentment, wandered through many brahmin hermitages seeking twice-born men accomplished in ritual action.

1.155.2 Desiring the birth of a son, his mind stricken with grief, he would always brood: "I have no excellent offspring."

1.155.3 In his despair he would curse even his born sons, saying "Shame on my kinsmen," and he was given over to sighing, desiring to requite Droṇa.

1.155.4 Reflecting on Droṇa's might, discipline, training, and conduct, and on his own kshatriya strength, that best of kings, O Bhārata, could find no way to requite him despite his efforts.

1.155.5 Wandering on the banks of the Kalmashin near the Gaṅgā, that lord of the earth came upon a holy brahmin hermitage.

1.155.6 There was no one who had not completed his studentship, no twice-born without a vow, and likewise none without high merit; and he saw two who were firm in their vows.

1.155.7 The son of Pṛṣata saw the two brahmin-sages Yāja and Upayāja, who were at rest, engaged in the study of the sacred collection, both belonging to the Kāśyapa lineage.

1.155.8 Those two best of sages, fit brahmins for conducting a rite of passage, he addressed with all manner of desirable things, tirelessly.

1.155.9 Perceiving the power and intelligence of both, he took the younger aside privately and approached Upayāja, who was firm in his vows, pleasing him with gifts.

1.155.10 Engaged in the service of his feet, speaking sweetly, giving him all his desires, he honored Upayāja duly and spoke to him:

1.155.11 "O brahmin, O Upayāja, by whatever rite a son might be born to me for the death of Droṇa — for that performed, I shall give you ten million cows."

1.155.12 "Or whatever else, O best of twice-born, may be deeply pleasing to your mind — all of that I shall give you; there is no doubt about this."

1.155.13 Thus addressed, the sage replied "Not I" — and Drupada, wishing to propitiate him, attended upon him again.

1.155.14 Then at the end of a year, that best of twice-born, Upayāja, spoke to Drupada, O king, at the right moment in a sweet voice:

1.155.15 "My elder brother, while wandering by a forest stream, picked up a fruit that had fallen to the ground whose purity was uncertain."

1.155.16 "I observed that improper action of my brother following him along, and I thought: he would never show discrimination in taking something impure."

1.155.17 "Seeing only the fruit, he did not notice the faults that attend it; one who does not discriminate purity — how could he do so in other matters?"

1.155.18 "He who, while studying the sacred texts and dwelling in his teacher's household, always eats the leftover alms-food of others, ever and again praising the merits of food and without shame —"

1.155.19 "I consider my brother to be one who seeks mere material fruit, by the eye of reasoning; go to him, O king — he will perform the sacrifice for you."

1.155.20 The king, though feeling a certain repugnance, reflected on this in his mind; having heard Upayāja's words, that king who knew all dharma duly honored the worthy sage Yāja and spoke to him:

1.155.21 "I shall give eighty thousand cows — perform the sacrifice for me, O lord; you ought to gladden me who am scorched by enmity toward Droṇa."

1.155.22 For he is the foremost among those who know the Brahman, and peerless in the Brahmā-weapon as well; it was for this reason that Droṇa defeated me in that conflict with my friend.

1.155.23 There is no warrior anywhere on earth who is his equal, no one who stands foremost — that wise Bhāradvāja, the chief preceptor of the Kauravas.

1.155.24 Droṇa's volleys of arrows strip away both life and body, and his bow — six cubits long — appears vast and without equal.

1.155.25 That great-souled great archer Bhāradvāja, with the force of a Brahmin, checks without doubt the force of the warrior class.

1.155.26 Stationed like Jāmadagnya, he is ordained for the destruction of the Kṣatriyas; his terrible power of arms is indeed irresistible by men on earth.

1.155.27 Pouring forth Brahmic energy like a fire fed with oblations, he consumes the warrior class in battle with the Brahman going before him; and when Brahmin and Kṣatriya power are ranged against each other, Brahmic energy prevails.

1.155.28 I, fallen short in the power of the warrior class and seeking Brahmic energy, have come to you — superior even to Droṇa and the most learned of those who know the Brahman.

1.155.29 I wish to obtain a son who will be Droṇa's death-in-battle, unconquerable in war — perform this rite for me, O Yāja; I will give you a hundred million cows.

1.155.30 Yāja agreed, saying 'so be it,' and prepared for the sacrifice on behalf of the patron; for the teacher's sake he also urged Upayāja, who was unwilling; and Yāja thus pledged himself for Droṇa's destruction.

1.155.31 Then the great ascetic Upayāja explained to that lord of men the sacrificial rite that would yield a son as its fruit.

1.155.32 "The son you desire — O king, one of great heroism, great energy and great strength — shall be just such a one as you wish."

1.155.33 With the intention of obtaining the slayer of Bharadvāja's son, king Drupada had all of that duly carried out for the success of the rite.

1.155.34 Then at the end of the oblation Yāja called out to the queen: "Come to me, O queen Pṛṣatī — a pair is ready awaiting you."

1.155.35 The queen said: "My face is anointed, O Brahmin, and I bear sacred fragrances upon me; I am detained on account of my desire for a son — wait for me, O Yāja, my dear."

1.155.36 Yāja said: "The oblation has been cooked by Yāja and consecrated by Upayāja — how can it fail to fulfil your wish? Come, O Brahmin lady, or stay as you will."

1.155.37 The narrator said: When Yāja had spoken thus, and the oblation had been poured and duly sanctified, a boy resembling a god arose from that fire.

1.155.38 Flame-colored, of terrible aspect, wearing a diadem and bearing the finest armor, sword in hand, arrow-equipped, bow in hand, he roared again and again.

1.155.39 He mounted a splendid chariot and set out in it; then the Pāñcālas shouted in delight, "Excellent! Excellent!"

1.155.40 "This prince, dispeller of fear, bringer of glory to the Pāñcālas, dispeller of the king's grief — he is born truly for the slaying of Droṇa!" — so said a great invisible being that moved through the sky at that time.

1.155.41 A maiden of Pāñcāla also arose from the midst of the sacrificial altar — lovely, beautiful of limb, slender-waisted, and delightful.

1.155.42 Dark-complexioned, with eyes like lotus petals, curling dark hair, she bore a human form yet was visibly of celestial beauty.

1.155.43 From her wafted the fragrance of a blue lotus, perceptible from a league away; she bore supreme beauty for which there was no comparison on earth.

1.155.44 And as she of lovely hips was born, a bodiless voice spoke: "This Kṛṣṇā, foremost of all women, will bring about the destruction of the Kṣatriyas."

1.155.45 "This slender-waisted one will in time accomplish the work of the gods; on her account a great terror will arise among the Kṣatriyas."

1.155.46 Hearing this, all the Pāñcālas roared like a pride of lions; the earth could not bear those who were filled with such joy.

1.155.47 Seeing the two, Pṛṣatī — who had desired children — approached Yāja, saying: "Let these two know no other mother than me."

1.155.48 Yāja said "so be it" to her, wishing to please the king; and the twice-born, their hearts full of joy, gave names to the two.

1.155.49 "Because of his boldness and exceeding audacity, and because he arose from the sacred fire's brilliance, let this boy of Drupada be called Dhṛṣṭadyumna."

1.155.50 They called the girl Kṛṣṇā, for she was dark of complexion. Thus that twin pair was born at Drupada's great sacrifice.

1.155.51 Taking Dhṛṣṭadyumna of Pāñcāla into his own residence, the powerful Bhāradvāja trained him in the use of weapons.

1.155.52 The great-minded Droṇa, understanding that what is destined cannot be escaped, did this nonetheless — to preserve his own glory.

1.156.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing this, the sons of Kuntī became as if pierced by lances, and those great warriors were all unsettled in mind.

1.156.2 Then Kuntī, seeing her sons distraught and out of their senses, spoke these words to Yudhiṣṭhira — she who ever speaks the truth.

1.156.3 "We have lodged here for a long time in the dwelling of the Brahmin, taking our pleasure in this delightful city and obtaining our alms, O Yudhiṣṭhira.

1.156.4 All the lovely forests and groves here have been seen again and again, O subduer of enemies.

1.156.5 Seen again and again, they no longer delight us as before; and alms too are not obtained as they were, O hero, O joy of the Kurus.

1.156.6 Let us go to Pāñcāla — if you think it good; we shall see things never seen before, my son, and it will be delightful.

1.156.7 The Pāñcālas are said to be prosperous, O you who wear down enemies, and that king Yajñasena too we have heard is devoted to Brahmins.

1.156.8 Long dwelling in one place is not good, and is not my view; let us go there to Pāñcāla — if you think so, my son."

1.156.9 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Whatever you consider should be done is our highest good; as for my younger brothers, I know not whether they will go or not."

1.156.10 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Kuntī spoke of the journey to Bhīmasena, Arjuna, and the twins, and they too said "so be it" at that time.

1.156.11 Then, O king, Kuntī took leave of that Brahmin and set out together with her sons for the lovely city of the great-souled Drupada.

1.157.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: While those great-souled Pāṇḍavas were dwelling in disguise, Vyāsa the son of Satyavatī came to see them.

1.157.2 Seeing him arrive, those scorchers of enemies went forward to meet him, bowed down to him and greeted him, and then stood with hands joined in reverence.

1.157.3 Having given them all leave to be seated, the sage, pleased and honored by the sons of Pṛthā, spoke these words with affection.

1.157.4 "Are you conducting yourselves according to dharma and the scriptures, O scorchers of enemies? Is your reverence toward the Brahmins who deserve reverence not diminishing?"

1.157.5 Having spoken words full of righteousness and purpose, and various other stories, that blessed sage then spoke again as follows.

1.157.6 "In a forest of asceticism there was once the daughter of a great-souled sage — slender-waisted, lovely-hipped, with beautiful brows, endowed with every virtue.

1.157.7 Yet through deeds done by herself she became ill-fated; that virtuous and beautiful maiden found no husband.

1.157.8 Unhappy, she then undertook to practice austerities for the sake of a husband, and with severe asceticism she propitiated Śaṃkara.

1.157.9 The blessed god, pleased with her, spoke to that ascetic woman: 'Choose a boon, fair one — good fortune to you; I am the giver of boons.'

1.157.10 Then she spoke to the Lord what was beneficial for her: 'I desire a husband endowed with every virtue' — she said this again and again.

1.157.11 Then the Lord, the best of speakers, replied to her: 'Five husbands shall be yours, O auspicious one' — so said Śaṃkara.

1.157.12 As she replied 'Give me one husband, O Śaṃkara,' he said to her once again these excellent words, O god:

1.157.13 'You have said to me five times "give me a husband"; when you have passed into another body, what I have said shall come to pass.'

1.157.14 'That maiden of divine appearance, born in Drupada's family — the blameless Kṛṣṇā Pārṣatī — is appointed as your wife.'

1.157.15 'Therefore enter the city of Pāñcāla, O men of great might; having obtained her you will be happy — there is no doubt.'

1.157.16 Having spoken thus, that most blessed grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas, the great ascetic, took leave of the sons of Pṛthā and Kuntī and departed.

1.158.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Those bulls among men, scorchers of enemies, set out with their mother placed in front, following level northward roads as directed.

1.158.2 Traveling for a day and a night, those tigers among men, the sons of Pāṇḍu, reached the Somaśravāyaṇa ford on the Gaṅgā.

1.158.3 Lifting up a firebrand, the greatly famous Dhanaṃjaya went in front of them — to give light and for protection.

1.158.4 There, in the lovely waters of the Gaṅgā in a secluded spot, the jealous king of Gandharvas had come for water-sports, sporting with women.

1.158.5 He heard the sound of them approaching the river; possessed by that sound, that powerful one became extremely angry.

1.158.6 Seeing the Pāṇḍavas there together with their mother, those scorchers of enemies, he twanged his terrible bow and spoke these words.

1.158.7 "The terrible twilight that glows red at the coming of the early night — that moment, they say, is lacking eighty truṭas of the full period.

1.158.8 That time is ordained for the free movement of Yakṣas, Gandharvas and Rākṣasas; what remains besides is remembered here as the time for men to move at will.

1.158.9 Those foolish men who out of greed roam about at those hours — together with the Rākṣasas we seize and restrain those who transgress.

1.158.10 Those who know the Brahman censure all men who approach the water at night — even the powerful, even kings.

1.158.11 Stand far off — do not approach near to me! Why do you not recognize me who has come to the waters of the Bhāgīrathī?

1.158.12 Know me to be the Gandharva Aṅgāraparṇa, one who relies on his own strength; I am proud and jealous, and the beloved friend of Kubera.

1.158.13 This forest of mine is known as Aṅgāraparṇa — the beautiful one along the Gaṅgā and the Vākā — where I dwell.

1.158.14 Neither ghosts nor horned beasts, neither gods nor human beings approach this place — why then do you approach it?"

1.158.15 Arjuna said: "On the ocean, on the slopes of Himavat, or on this river, O wicked-minded one — whose domain is established for the night, the day, or the twilight?

1.158.16 We are endowed with power and do not fear you even at an improper time; it is those who are powerless that honor you in a moment of danger.

1.158.17 "Of old this Gaṅgā issued forth from Himavat's golden peak, and flowing to the ocean's waters divides itself into seven streams.

1.158.18 And again, flowing pure as one stream through the sky, this Gaṅgā attains among the gods, O Gandharva, the form of the Alakanandā.

1.158.19 In the same way, for the ancestors she becomes the Vaitaraṇī, impassable by those of wicked deeds, O Gandharva — as Dvaipāyana has declared.

1.158.20 This unobstructed, auspicious divine river that leads to heaven — how do you wish to block it? This is not eternal dharma.

1.158.21 How should we not touch at will the sacred waters of the Bhāgīrathī, which cannot be stopped and is unobstructed — how can your words prevent us?"

1.158.22 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing that, Aṅgāraparṇa in fury bent his bow and discharged blazing arrows like venomous serpents.

1.158.23 Swiftly whirling the firebrand and raising his excellent shield, Dhanañjaya — the Pāṇḍava — deflected every single arrow of his.

1.158.24 Arjuna said: O gandharva, this terror of yours is not deployed against those who know the science of weapons; when directed at those who do know it, it dissolves like foam.

1.158.25 I regard all gandharvas as surpassing ordinary men, O gandharva; therefore I shall fight with a divine weapon, and not with illusion.

1.158.26 Long ago, O gandharva, Bṛhaspati — son of the guru of Śatakratu — bestowed this fire weapon upon Bharadvāja.

1.158.27 From Bharadvāja it passed to Agniveśa, and from Agniveśa to my guru; that foremost of brahmanas, Droṇa, gave it to me.

1.158.28 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus, the Pāṇḍava, filled with wrath, released the blazing fire weapon at the gandharva, and it set his chariot ablaze.

1.158.29 That mighty gandharva was left without a chariot, utterly undone, bewildered by the brilliance of the weapon, and fell forward face downward.

1.158.30 Dhanañjaya seized him by his garlanded hair and dragged him — rendered senseless by the fall of the weapon — toward his brothers.

1.158.31 His wife, named Kumbhīnasī, seeking refuge and desiring to save her husband, threw herself before Yudhiṣṭhira as a suppliant.

1.158.32 The gandharva woman said: Save me, O great king, and release this husband of mine! I am a gandharva woman who has come to you for refuge — I am named Kumbhīnasī, O lord.

1.158.33 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Who indeed would slay an enemy who has been conquered in battle, stripped of glory, whose wife is his master, and who is no longer a warrior? O slayer of foes, release him.

1.158.34 Arjuna said: Take him back, O gandharva woman — go and do not grieve. The Kuru king Yudhiṣṭhira grants you safety today.

1.158.35 The gandharva said: I have been defeated; I relinquish my former name Aṅgāraparṇa. Henceforth I shall not boast of my strength or my name in any gathering of people.

1.158.36 It is well indeed that I have gained this gain — that I, who wished to fight with gandharva illusion against one who wields divine weapons and is superior to me in age and valor.

1.158.37 My magnificent chariot has been burned by the fire of that weapon; I who was once Citraratha have now become Dagdharatha — the one with the burnt chariot — in name.

1.158.38 This knowledge was gathered by me through austerities long ago; today I shall present it to this great-souled one who has given me back my life.

1.158.39 He who reunites with life an enemy who was overpowered by force, defeated, and has come seeking refuge — does he not deserve every good fortune?

1.158.40 This knowledge is called Chakshushi — that which Manu gave to Soma; Soma gave it to Viśvāvasu, and Viśvāvasu gave it to me.

1.158.41 This guru-given knowledge, if it reaches a coward, is lost; I have described its origin — now hear from me its power.

1.158.42 Whatever one wishes to see with the eye in the three worlds, one can see it; and in whatever form one wishes to see it, one is able to behold it in that very form.

1.158.43 One who remains established in the vow for six months will obtain this knowledge; I myself will conduct this knowledge to you once the vow is observed.

1.158.44 By this knowledge, O king, we gandharvas are distinguished above men, yet we fall short of the gods, being moved by their power.

1.158.45 I shall give, O best of men, one hundred horses born of gandharvas each separately to your five brothers — a hundred for each.

1.158.46 These are the mounts of the gods and gandharvas, of divine fragrance, traveling at the speed of thought; though they may tire and tire again, their swiftness never diminishes.

1.158.47 Long ago, the thunderbolt of Mahendra, fashioned for the slaying of Vṛtra, was shattered tenfold and a hundredfold upon the head of Vṛtra.

1.158.48 Those portions were then distributed among the gods, and the share of the thunderbolt is worshipped in the world; whatever in the world serves as a means of power — that is said to be the body of the thunderbolt.

1.158.49 A brahmin is the thunderbolt in the hand; the kshatriya is said to be the thunderbolt of the chariot; the vaishyas are the thunderbolt of giving, and the youngest class the thunderbolt of action.

1.158.50 Horses are the thunderbolt of the kshatriya; horses are declared to be inviolable; a mare gives birth to the wheel of the chariot, and those considered chariot-drivers are among horses.

1.158.51 Of any color one desires, born as one desires, appearing at one's will — these horses born of gandharvas will fulfill your every wish.

1.158.52 Arjuna said: Whether given out of affection or when one's life was in danger — knowledge, wealth, or learning — I do not desire that, O gandharva.

1.158.53 The gandharva said: Fellowship indeed brings joy, as is seen in all assemblies; delighted by the gift of my life, I give you this knowledge.

1.158.54 From you I shall receive the supreme fire weapon in return, and likewise an enduring friendship, O Bībhatsu, O bull among the Bhāratas.

1.158.55 Arjuna said: In exchange for the weapon I choose the horses from you; let our union be eternal, O friend. Tell me, O gandharva, what it is that would free you from fear.

1.159.1 Arjuna said: Tell me the reason, O gandharva — what was it by which we were assailed — we who were traveling, knowing the Vedas, virtuous, all of us, at night, O subduer of enemies?

1.159.2 The gandharva said: You were without fire, without offerings made into fire, and not accompanied by a brahmin in the lead — therefore you were assailed by me, O joy of the Pāṇḍavas.

1.159.3 Yakṣas, rakshasas, gandharvas, pisachas, serpents, and men — all these tell at length of the glory of your illustrious Kuru lineage.

1.159.4 And from Nārada and other divine sages I have heard, O hero, them recounting the virtues of your wise forebears.

1.159.5 And I myself have seen, as I wandered across this entire earth girdled by oceans, the power of your own lineage.

1.159.6 I recognize, O Arjuna, your teacher in the Veda and in archery — the illustrious Bharadvāja's son, renowned in the three worlds.

1.159.7 I know Dharma, Vāyu, and Śakra, likewise the Aśvins, and Pāṇḍu — these six, O tiger among Kurus, O Pārtha, these fathers, foremost among gods and men, who increased your lineage.

1.159.8 You brothers are of divine nature, great-souled, the foremost of all who bear weapons, heroic, all of you observing vows of noble conduct.

1.159.9 Yet knowing your sublime mind and intellect, O Pārtha, knowing you to be souls of disciplined spirit — I nevertheless committed this assault upon you here.

1.159.10 In the presence of women, O Kauravya, no man who relies upon the wealth of his arms ought to endure an insult to himself when he sees it.

1.159.11 And at night our strength increases even further; that is why wrath came upon me together with my wife, O son of Kuntī.

1.159.12 Yet I have been defeated by you here in battle, O enhancer of the lineage of Tapatī; learn from me by what means this glory is to be proclaimed.

1.159.13 Brahmacharya — celibate discipline — is the supreme dharma, and that too is established in you; it is for this reason, O Pārtha, that I was conquered by you in this battle.

1.159.14 Whatever kshatriya, O scorcher of foes, is governed by desire and fights in battle at night — he cannot survive under any circumstances.

1.159.15 But a king who is even governed by desire, O descendant of Tapatī, can conquer all night-roaming beings in battle — provided he is guided by a purohita at the helm.

1.159.16 Therefore, O descendant of Tapatī, in whatever action men here seek their highest good, self-controlled purohitas should be engaged for that undertaking.

1.159.17 Those who are devoted to the Veda with its six limbs, who are pure, truthful in speech, righteous in soul, and disciplined in self — such men should be the purohitas of kings.

1.159.18 Victory is certain for a king, and heaven follows thereafter, whose chief priest is learned in dharma, eloquent, of noble character, and pure.

1.159.19 To gain what has not yet been gained, and to protect what has already been gained, a king should appoint a purohita endowed with virtuous qualities.

1.159.20 A king who wishes to obtain this entire earth, adorned by Meru as its crest jewel and girdled in all directions by ocean, should abide by the counsel of his purohita.

1.159.21 For no king, lacking brahmin support, can ever conquer the earth by valor alone or by noble birth alone — not anywhere.

1.159.22 Therefore understand this, O increaser of the Kuru lineage: a kingdom with brahmins at its head is alone capable of being sustained for a long time.

1.160.1 Arjuna said: The word 'Tapatya' that you have addressed to me here — I wish to understand the definitive meaning of 'Tapatya.'

1.160.2 Who is this Tapatī on account of whom we are called Tapatyas? We are the sons of Kuntī, O good one — I wish to know the truth.

1.160.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, the gandharva caused Dhanañjaya, the son of Kuntī, to hear a tale renowned throughout the three worlds.

1.160.4 The gandharva said: Come then — I shall tell you this delightful tale in full and exactly as it happened, O Pārtha, O best of those who uphold dharma — a righteous tale.

1.160.5 The word by which I addressed you as 'Tapatya' — that I shall narrate to you now. Listen to me with an undivided mind.

1.160.6 He who pervades heaven with his seat and pervades the sky with his radiance — to him was born a daughter named Tapatī, matchless in form.

1.160.7 She was the daughter of Vivasvat, O son of Kuntī, the younger sister of Sāvitrī, O lord, renowned in the three worlds, and endowed with the heat of ascetic power.

1.160.8 She was not a goddess, nor an asuri, nor a yakshi, nor a rakshasi, nor an apsara, nor a gandharvi — no one possessed a form equal to hers.

1.160.9 Her limbs were well-proportioned and flawless; her eyes were dark and wide; she was virtuous in conduct, righteous, beautifully dressed, and resplendent.

1.160.10 Savitṛ found no one in the three worlds equal to her, O Bhārata — no one worthy to be her husband in beauty, character, lineage, and learning.

1.160.11 Seeing his daughter who had reached the bloom of youth, ready to be given in marriage, he found no peace as he pondered to whom to bestow her.

1.160.12 The son of Riksha and Artha, O son of Kuntī — Saṃvaraṇa, the bull among the Kurus, powerful king — always worshipped the Sun.

1.160.13 The king, ever steadfast, worshipped with offerings of water and garlands, with vows, fasts, and various austerities.

1.160.14 Devoted in service, free of arrogance, pure — the joy of the Paurava clan — he worshipped with devotion the radiant one rising with his rays.

1.160.15 Then the Sun regarded Saṃvaraṇa — grateful, learned in dharma, matchless in form on earth — as a worthy husband for Tapatī.

1.160.16 He then wished to give his daughter to that Saṃvaraṇa, O Kauravya — that foremost of kings, of illustrious lineage.

1.160.17 Just as the bright-rayed sun illumines the sky with his radiance, so did Saṃvaraṇa shine upon the earth with his own brilliance.

1.160.18 Just as the knowers of Brahman worship the rising Āditya, so did the people — brahmins and lower orders alike — worship Saṃvaraṇa, O Pārtha.

1.160.19 That glorious king surpassed the moon in beauty and the sun in radiance — even in the eyes of enemies, not only of friends.

1.160.20 For a king of such qualities and such conduct, O Kauravya, the Sun himself resolved to give Tapatī.

1.160.21 Then one day that glorious king, of wide renown upon the earth, went hunting, O Pārtha, in the forest on a mountain — so it is said.

1.160.22 As he ranged in the hunt, his peerless horse — worn out by hunger, thirst, and fatigue — died on the mountain, O son of Kuntī.

1.160.23 His horse dead, the king wandered on the mountain on foot alone, O Pārtha, and he saw a maiden with wide eyes, matchless in the world.

1.160.24 He, the crusher of enemies, the tiger among kings, approaching that solitary maiden alone, stood still, gazing at her with unblinking eyes.

1.160.25 The king surmised her to be Śrī herself in form, then surmised again that she was like the radiance of the sun fallen to earth.

1.160.26 The mountain slope on which she stood, her eyes bright as a white blossom, glowed as though fashioned of gold — trees, shrubs, and all.

1.160.27 Beholding her, the king deemed her form surpassing that of every living creature; and he felt that his eyes had at last gained their true reward.

1.160.28 From the day of his birth the great king had seen many things, yet he reflected that he had never beheld any beauty comparable to hers.

1.160.29 His mind and eyes were bound by the cords woven from her virtues; he stirred not from that spot, and knew nothing of what passed around him.

1.160.30 "Surely," he thought, "the Creator churned the whole world — gods, asuras, and men alike — and brought forth this form of the wide-eyed one."

1.160.31 Thus did King Saṃvaraṇa reason to himself, marvelling at the treasure of her beauty, a maiden unequalled anywhere in the world.

1.160.32 That king of noble lineage, having gazed upon the auspicious maiden, fell into deep anxious thought, tormented by the arrows of desire.

1.160.33 Burning fiercely in the fire of Kāma, the bold king, though she was reticent, spoke to that renowned maiden.

1.160.34 "Who are you, O round-thighed one? Whose are you? For what purpose do you stand here? And how, O pure-smiling one, do you roam alone in this deserted forest?"

1.160.35 "You are blameless in every limb, adorned with every ornament; and yet you seem yourself to be the desired ornament of all these ornaments."

1.160.36 "I take you for neither a goddess nor an asura-woman, neither a yakṣī nor a rākṣasī, neither a serpent-princess of Bhogavatī, nor a gandharva-maiden, nor a mortal."

1.160.37 "Of all the beautiful women I have ever seen or heard of, I do not consider you the equal of any of them, O woman whose eyes are full and intoxicating."

1.160.38 Thus did the king address her; but she, in that solitary forest, did not reply a single word to the love-stricken man.

1.160.39 Then, as the king entreated her further, the large-eyed one vanished on that very spot, like a flash of lightning amid clouds.

1.160.40 Seeking her, the king wandered through that forest, eyes like lotus petals, roaming about like one who had lost his wits.

1.160.41 Not finding her, and having lamented greatly in that place, the foremost of the Kauravas stood motionless for a while, all movement ceased in him.

1.161.1 The Gandharva said: When she vanished from sight, the king, deluded by desire — he who was the feller of enemy hosts — fell to the ground.

1.161.2 When he had fallen upon the earth, that lovely-smiling, full and shapely-hipped woman revealed herself to the king once more.

1.161.3 Then the auspicious one spoke in a sweet voice to that king, founder of the Kuru line, whose mind was struck down by desire.

1.161.4 "Arise, arise! May fortune be yours! O subduer of foes, O tiger among kings, you ought not to yield to such delusion, lying exposed upon the earth."

1.161.5 Thus addressed by her sweet voice, the king looked up and saw her — broad-hipped and fair — standing directly before him.

1.161.6 Then the lord of men, his soul consumed by the fire of Kāma, spoke to her of dark-tinged eyes in a voice uncertain and faltering.

1.161.7 "O dark-eyed one, O woman with full and bright eyes, favour me who am tormented by desire and who devotedly seeks you — for life is departing from me."

1.161.8 "For your sake, O wide-eyed one, O woman bright as the interior of a lotus, Kāma pierces me with his sharp arrows and does not abate."

1.161.9 "I am seized by the great serpent of desire and there is none to hear my cry, O fortunate one — O full-hipped, auspicious-faced woman, rescue me."

1.161.10 "My life depends entirely on you, O woman whose voice is like the song of a kiṃnara, whose every limb is beautiful and blameless, whose face resembles both the lotus and the moon."

1.161.11 "Without you, O timid one, I cannot sustain my life. Therefore, O wide-eyed woman, O graceful one, show compassion toward me."

1.161.12 "O dark-eyed one, you must not abandon me who am devoted to you. You have the power to save me with the bond of love, O passionate woman."

1.161.13 "Come, O timid one, beautiful woman, take me in the Gāndharva form of marriage — for of all marriage rites, O round-thighed one, the Gāndharva is said to be the highest."

1.161.14 Tapatī said: I am not mistress of my own person, O king — I am a maiden who has a father. If you truly love me, then go and ask my father.

1.161.15 "Just as you say your life has been seized by me, O lord of men, know too that at the very sight of you you have likewise taken away my life."

1.161.16 "Yet I am not free to dispose of my own body; therefore, O best of kings, I cannot draw near you — women are not independent."

1.161.17 "What maiden in all the worlds would not desire a king of celebrated lineage as her lord and husband, one who is kind and devoted to those who love him?"

1.161.18 "Therefore, in this situation, go and entreat my father, the sun-god Āditya, with prostrations, austerities, and observances."

1.161.19 "If he wishes to give me to you, O crusher of foes, then, O king, I shall forever be obedient to you."

1.161.20 "I am Tapatī by name, the younger sister of Sāvitrī, daughter of Savitṛ — of the sun who is the lamp of the world — O bull among kṣatriyas."

1.162.1 The Gandharva said: Having spoken thus, the blameless one swiftly rose upward; and the king fell once more upon the ground on that very spot.

1.162.2 The minister who had accompanied him found him in the great forest, fallen to the ground like the banner of Indra that has been cast down.

1.162.3 Seeing that great archer horseless and fallen to earth, the minister was as though set ablaze by fire.

1.162.4 He hastened to him with the agitation that love brings, and raised up the king who was dazed by desire.

1.162.5 Like a father lifting a fallen son from the ground, that minister — aged in wisdom, years, fame, and self-restraint — raised up the lord of earth.

1.162.6 Having raised the king, the minister's own anguish faded; and he spoke to him who had just risen, with auspicious, sweet words: "Fear not, O tiger among men; may good fortune be yours, O sinless one."

1.162.7 He surmised that the king — he who fells enemies in battle — had fallen to the ground overcome by hunger, thirst, and exhaustion.

1.162.8 He then sprinkled the king's head with very cool water fragrant as the white lotus, taking care not to disturb the royal crown.

1.162.9 When the powerful king had recovered his life-breath, he dismissed the entire army, retaining only that one minister.

1.162.10 By the king's command, the great army marched away; and the king sat down once more upon that mountain slope.

1.162.11 Then, on that excellent mountain, he became ritually pure, joined his palms in supplication, and stood upon the ground with arms raised, desiring to propitiate the sun.

1.162.12 And in his mind, King Saṃvaraṇa — the slayer of foes — turned also to Vasiṣṭha, the best of seers, his own household priest.

1.162.13 As the lord of the people remained thus in that solitary place through nights and days alike, the seer among brāhmaṇas came to him on the twelfth day.

1.162.14 That great and cultivated-souled seer, knowing by divine means that the king's heart had been taken by Tapatī, understood all.

1.162.15 That righteous-souled one then addressed the best of kings, who had been disciplining his self thus, desiring to accomplish his purpose.

1.162.16 While the lord of men watched, the blessed seer, radiant as the sun himself, ascended upward to behold the sun.

1.162.17 Standing before the thousand-rayed one with joined palms, Vasiṣṭha gladly made himself known, saying: "I am Vasiṣṭha."

1.162.18 Vivasvān, of great splendour, then said to the best of sages: "Welcome to you, O great seer — speak freely of whatever you wish."

1.163.1 Vasiṣṭha said: This daughter of yours named Tapatī, the younger sister of Sāvitrī — I ask you for her hand on behalf of Saṃvaraṇa, O Vibhāvasu.

1.163.2 "For that king Saṃvaraṇa is of great fame, learned in dharma and wealth, of noble mind — a fitting husband for your daughter, O one who roams the sky."

1.163.3 The Gandharva said: Thus addressed by Vasiṣṭha, Savitā the day-maker, resolved to give her, welcomed the seer and replied.

1.163.4 "Saṃvaraṇa is the best among kings; you are the best among sages, O muni; Tapatī is the best among women — what reason could there be for refusal?"

1.163.5 Then Tapana himself gave the blameless Tapatī — resplendent as fire — for Saṃvaraṇa's sake to the great-souled Vasiṣṭha; and the great seer accepted that maiden Tapatī.

1.163.6 Vasiṣṭha, having been sent off, came back again to the place where that bull of the Kurus of celebrated fame was waiting.

1.163.7 That king, who had been possessed by Kāma and whose inner self had dwelt entirely on her, seeing that goddess-daughter, the lovely-smiling Tapatī, coming with Vasiṣṭha, was filled with exceeding joy.

1.163.8 When the king's twelve nights of arduous vigil had been completed, the pure-souled, blessed seer Vasiṣṭha arrived.

1.163.9 Having propitiated through austerities the boon-granting god, the lord and master of the cattle of the sky, Saṃvaraṇa obtained his wife by the very power of Vasiṣṭha.

1.163.10 Then on that most excellent mountain, frequented by gods and gandharvas, that bull among men took Tapatī's hand according to the rites.

1.163.11 Permitted by Vasiṣṭha, that royal seer desired to dwell on that same mountain range in the company of his wife.

1.163.12 Thereupon the lord of earth gave command over the city, the realm, the transport, and the armies to that same minister.

1.163.13 Vasiṣṭha then took his leave of the king and departed; and the king too sported on that mountain, like one equal to an immortal.

1.163.14 For twelve years the king took his pleasure on that mountain, in its forests and waters, together with his wife alone.

1.163.15 During those twelve years, throughout that king's city and throughout all his realm, the thousand-eyed Indra sent no rain whatsoever.

1.163.16 That city then, with its people tormented by hunger, joyless, and reduced to the state of corpses, looked like the city of the king of the dead, crowded with ghosts.

1.163.17 Seeing the city in such a state, that same blessed seer — righteous-souled Vasiṣṭha — went to the best of kings.

1.163.18 He brought that tiger among kings back to his city — O king — together with Tapatī, after his having sojourned twelve years away.

1.163.19 Then, as that tiger among kings re-entered his city, the slayer of the enemies of the gods — Indra — caused rain to fall there as in former times.

1.163.20 Then that city, together with the whole kingdom, rejoiced with the greatest joy, enlivened by that foremost of kings, himself of enlivened soul.

1.163.21 Thereafter the lord of men performed sacrifice for twelve more years together with his wife Tapatī, just as Śakra the lord of the Maruts does.

1.163.22 Such was she — the greatly blessed Tapatī of ancient times, daughter of Vivasvat — O Pārtha; and it is from her that you are known as Tāpatya.

1.163.23 King Saṃvaraṇa begot upon Tapatī the ancestor Kuru, O best of those who blaze with splendour; from her descent you are called Tāpatya, O Arjuna.

1.164.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having heard those words of the gandharva, Arjuna, O bull of the Bhārata line, shone with the greatest delight, like the full moon.

1.164.2 And that great archer, best of the Kurus, deeply curious about the power of Vasiṣṭha's austerity, spoke to the gandharva.

1.164.3 "This name of the seer 'Vasiṣṭha' that you have uttered — I wish to hear the full account of it. Tell me truly."

1.164.4 O lord of the Gandharvas, who was this one who served as the family priest of our ancestors? Tell me of him — who indeed is this venerable sage?

1.164.5 The Gandharva said: He whose two feet were forever massaged by desire and anger — both of them conquered by his austerity, those two who are ever unconquerable even by the immortals —

1.164.6 who, though of noble spirit, did not bring about the destruction of the Kuśikas despite Viśvāmitra's offense, even while bearing the greatest wrath within —

1.164.7 who, though powerful and lordly and tormented by the calamity of his sons, did not choose the terrible deed of destroying Viśvāmitra —

1.164.8 who, even to bring back his dead sons from Yama's realm, did not transgress fate, just as the great ocean does not transgress its shore —

1.164.9 having obtained whom — that self-conquered, great-souled one — the Ikṣvāku kings, those guardians of the earth, won this world —

1.164.10 having obtained Vasiṣṭha, the best of household priests, the foremost of sages, those kings performed sacrifices, O joy of the Kurus —

1.164.11 for that brahmarshi presided over the sacrifices of all those foremost kings, O best of the Pāṇḍavas, just as Bṛhaspati does for the immortals —

1.164.12 therefore a brahmin who is foremost in righteousness, who knows the dharma of the Vedas, who is sought-after and endowed with virtues — some such one should be carefully chosen as your priest.

1.164.13 For a man born as a kshatriya who desires to conquer the earth must first appoint a household priest, O Pārtha, for the increase of his kingdom.

1.164.14 A king who desires to conquer the earth must place a brahmin at the fore; therefore let some virtuous twice-born one be your household priest.

1.165.1 Arjuna said: What was the cause of the enmity between Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha as they dwelt in their holy hermitage? Tell us all of that fully.

1.165.2 The Gandharva said: This ancient tale of Vasiṣṭha is told throughout all the worlds, O Pārtha. Learn it fully from me.

1.165.3 In Kānyakubja there was a great king, O bull among Bhāratas, known in the world as Gādhi — devoted to truth and righteousness.

1.165.4 This righteous king's son, possessed of abundant forces and mounts, became known as Viśvāmitra, the crusher of foes.

1.165.5 He roamed the hunt with his ministers through dense forest, piercing deer and boars in the pleasant sandy tracts.

1.165.6 Worn thin by exertion, eager for game and overcome with thirst, he came, O foremost of men, toward the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha.

1.165.7 Seeing him arrive, Vasiṣṭha the sage, foremost in good fortune, received Viśvāmitra, that foremost of men, with full honor.

1.165.8 With water for the feet, the guest-offering, water for sipping, and a warm welcome, O Bhārata, he received him likewise with forest oblations.

1.165.9 Then the wish-granting cow of great-souled Vasiṣṭha, told to yield all desires, duly milked them forth.

1.165.10 She milked herbs both domestic and wild, and milk itself, and the six tastes, and the nectar-like juice, the unsurpassed elixir of life.

1.165.11 Foods to be eaten, liquids to be drunk, various delicacies to be chewed, lickable things akin to ambrosia, and things to be sucked — all of these, O Arjuna.

1.165.12 Honored with all those desires fully provided, that lord of the earth together with his ministers and army was greatly pleased, that king.

1.165.13 With six elongated parts, fine flanks and thighs, three broad parts and five contracted ones, frog-like eyes, perfect form, and full udder — blameless —

1.165.14 with a handsome tail, spike-shaped ears, beautiful horns, and a lovely form, with well-nourished, elongated head and neck — gazing at her in wonder —

1.165.15 delighted by Nandini, Vasiṣṭha's milk-cow, Viśvāmitra, greatly pleased, spoke to the sage:

1.165.16 "Give me Nandini, O brahmin, in exchange for ten million cows, or else for my kingdom — enjoy my kingdom, O great sage."

1.165.17 Vasiṣṭha said: For the sake of the gods, guests, and ancestors, and for clarified butter offerings, this milk-cow Nandini is not to be given away by me, even for your kingdom, O sinless one.

1.165.18 Viśvāmitra said: I am a kshatriya; you are a brahmin whose means are austerity and Vedic study. Where does valor reside in brahmins, who are tranquil and self-controlled?

1.165.19 "Since you will not give me what I desire even for ten million cows, I will not abandon my own duty — I shall take your cow by force."

1.165.20 Vasiṣṭha said: You stand in power; you are a king; you are a kshatriya of mighty arm. Do quickly as you wish — do not deliberate.

1.165.21 The Gandharva said: Thus addressed, O Pārtha, Viśvāmitra then seized by force that cow Nandini, who resembled a swan or the moon.

1.165.22 Struck by whips and staffs, driven this way and that, lowing aloud, that auspicious Nandini of Vasiṣṭha —

1.165.23 turned back and stood facing him, O Pārtha, her face turned toward her lord; though beaten hard, she did not leave the hermitage.

1.165.24 Vasiṣṭha said: I hear your cry, dear one, as you call out again and again. You are being carried off by force, O Nandī — but I am a brahmin, and forbearance is my nature.

1.165.25 The Gandharva said: But Nandini, overpowered by the force of those forces, O bull among Bhāratas, terrified of Viśvāmitra, came to Vasiṣṭha.

1.165.26 The cow said: O lord, why do you ignore me as though I have no protector — me, who am being beaten with stones and staffs, crying out, beset by the terrible forces of Viśvāmitra?

1.165.27 The Gandharva said: Even as she was thus afflicted, O Pārtha, the great sage did not agitate, nor did he waver from his composure, firm in his vow.

1.165.28 Vasiṣṭha said: The strength of kshatriyas is their energy; the strength of brahmins is forbearance. Forbearance attends me — so go, if you please.

1.165.29 The cow said: Have I been abandoned by you, lord, that you speak to me thus? I have not truly been abandoned by you, O brahmin — I cannot be taken away by force.

1.165.30 Vasiṣṭha said: I do not abandon you, O auspicious one. Stay, if you are able. They have bound your calf with strong rope and are carrying it off by force.

1.165.31 The Gandharva said: Hearing those words "Stay!" from Vasiṣṭha, his milk-cow raised her head and neck upward and blazed forth, terrible to behold.

1.165.32 That cow, with eyes red with fury and a dense thunderous bellow, scattered Viśvāmitra's entire army in every direction.

1.165.33 Struck by the tips of whips and staffs, driven here and there, her eyes blazing with wrath, she gathered yet more wrath within her.

1.165.34 She blazed, her body lit with fury like the midday sun, repeatedly raining down a great shower of embers from her tail.

1.165.35 From her tail she created the Pahlavas; from her dung she created Śabaras and Śakas; maddened with rage, from her urine she created the Yavanas.

1.165.36 From her foam she created Puṇḍras, Kirātas, Dravidians, Sinhalese, Barbaras, and likewise Daradas and other barbarians.

1.165.37 By those created hosts, bands of various barbarians clad in varied armor and bearing varied weapons, the great army of Viśvāmitra was overwhelmed as he looked on.

1.165.38 Each warrior was surrounded by five or seven, and the army of Viśvāmitra, driven by a great rain of weapons, was shattered on all sides, terrified, as he watched.

1.165.39 Yet none of those soldiers of Viśvāmitra were separated from their lives by the enraged forces of Vasiṣṭha, O bull among Bhāratas.

1.165.40 The army of Viśvāmitra, driven back three yojanas, crying out, seized with fear, found no protector.

1.165.41 Seeing that great wonder born of brahmanic splendor, Viśvāmitra, disillusioned with the nature of the kshatriya, spoke these words:

1.165.42 "Shame on the strength of the kshatriya! The strength of brahmic splendor is true strength. Having weighed strength against strength, I conclude that austerity alone is supreme strength."

1.165.43 Renouncing his flourishing kingdom, that blazing royal glory, and leaving all pleasures behind, he turned his mind solely to austerity.

1.165.44 Having attained perfection through austerity, pervading the worlds with his splendor, blazing in energy he scorched all beings and won brahminhood; and that Kauśika drank the soma juice together with Indra.

1.166.1 The Gandharva said: There was a king known as Kalmāṣapāda in this world, O Pārtha — born of the Ikṣvāku lineage, unmatched on earth in his splendor.

1.166.2 Once that king, crusher of enemies, went out from his city into the forest for the hunt, piercing deer and boars as he roamed.

1.166.3 That king, afflicted by thirst and hunger, was travelling alone on a narrow path when he encountered great-souled Vasiṣṭha, the foremost of sages.

1.166.4 That unconquered-in-battle king saw coming toward him a sage named Śakti — highly blessed, the delight of Vasiṣṭha's line, the eldest among the hundred sons of great-souled Vasiṣṭha.

1.166.5 "Leave our path!" — thus spoke the king. And the sage spoke back to him, calming him with gentle words.

1.166.6 But the sage did not step aside, standing firm on that path of dharma; nor did the king move away, out of pride toward the sage and also out of anger.

1.166.7 That best of kings, in delusion, then struck with a whip the sage who would not yield the path — struck him as though he were a demon.

1.166.8 Struck by the blow of the whip, that foremost of sages, Vasiṣṭha's son, overcome with rage, cursed that best of kings:

1.166.9 "Because you strike an ascetic like a demon, O lowest of kings, from this day forward you shall become a man-eater."

1.166.10 "Addicted to human flesh, you shall roam this earth" — thus spoken to by Śakti, that Śakti of mighty power, "Go, O vilest of kings!"

1.166.11 Now the enmity between Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha had arisen over the matter of whose sacrificial client the king was — and Viśvāmitra followed that king.

1.166.12 As these two were thus in conflict, the sage Viśvāmitra of fierce austerity, O Pārtha, the illustrious one, drew near.

1.166.13 Then that best of kings afterward recognized the sage — the son of the sage Vasiṣṭha, equal to Vasiṣṭha himself in splendor.

1.166.14 Viśvāmitra too, O Bhārata, concealing himself, approached both of them, wishing to do what was pleasing to himself.

1.166.15 The best of kings, thus cursed by Śakti, went to seek refuge with Śakti, worthy of placating him.

1.166.16 Knowing the king's intention, O joy of the Kurus, Viśvāmitra then directed a demon against the king.

1.166.17 By the curse of that brahmin-sage and by the command of Viśvāmitra, a demon named Kinkara then entered into the king.

1.166.18 Knowing that the king had been seized by the demon, that sage Viśvāmitra then withdrew from that place, O crusher of enemies.

1.166.19 Then that wise king, guarding himself by his own self, was powerfully tormented even so by the demon that had entered within him.

1.166.20 A certain brahmin saw that king setting out again, and, being hungry, begged from him food along with meat.

1.166.21 The royal sage Mitrasaha then spoke to that brahmin, placating him: "Stay here for just a moment, O brahmin."

1.166.22 "When I return I shall give you food as you desire" — so saying, the king departed, and that best of brahmins waited.

1.166.23 The brahmin's words had meanwhile entered within the king's mind; and that lord of men entered his inner apartments and retired.

1.166.24 Then at midnight the king arose, quickly summoned the cook, and spoke, remembering what he had promised the brahmin:

1.166.25 "Go — in that place a brahmin waits for me, seeking food. You must supply him with food together with meat."

1.166.26 Thus instructed, the cook, unable to find any meat anywhere, reported this to the king in distress.

1.166.27 But the king, possessed by the demon, addressed the cook without any anxiety, saying again and again: 'Feed him with human flesh.'

1.166.28 Saying 'So be it,' the cook then went swiftly to the place where the executioners lived, took human flesh without fear.

1.166.29 He prepared it properly, mixed it with other food, and quickly served it to that hungry brahmin ascetic.

1.166.30 That best of twice-born sages, seeing the food with his spiritually perfected sight, said 'This is unfit to eat,' his eyes clouded with rage.

1.166.31 "Since that lord of men gives me food unfit to eat, therefore the craving for this very thing shall afflict that fool himself."

1.166.32 "Addicted to human flesh, as Śakti previously declared, he shall roam this earth as a terror to all living beings."

1.166.33 When the curse was spoken twice over the king, it became powerful; possessed by the force of the demon, he became bereft of his senses.

1.166.34 Then that best of kings, his senses overwhelmed by the demon, having seen Śakti before him, spoke to him thus, O Bhārata:

1.166.35 "Since you have inflicted upon me this undeserved curse, I shall begin with you to devour human beings."

1.166.36 Having said this, he immediately deprived Śakti of his life and devoured him, as a tiger devours a desired prey.

1.166.37 Seeing Śakti slain, Viśvāmitra then directed that same demon against the remaining sons of Vasiṣṭha.

1.166.38 Enraged, it devoured those hundred surviving sons of the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, as a lion devours small animals.

1.166.39 Vasiṣṭha, hearing that his sons had been slain by Viśvāmitra, bore that grief as a great mountain bears the earth.

1.166.40 That best of sages resolved to destroy himself, but that foremost of the wise did not contemplate the annihilation of the Kuśika line.

1.166.41 The venerable sage threw himself from the peak of Mount Meru, and his body fell upon the rocks below as if upon a heap of cotton.

1.166.42 When he did not die from that fall, O Pāṇḍava, the venerable one kindled a fire and entered it in the great forest.

1.166.43 Yet even though blazing fiercely, the fire did not burn him; O slayer of enemies, the fire became cool.

1.166.44 The great sage, overcome with grief, went to the ocean, tied a heavy rock around his neck, and plunged into its waters.

1.166.45 But the force of the ocean's waves cast the great sage back onto dry land; dejected, he turned back toward his hermitage.

1.167.1 The gandharva said: Then, seeing the hermitage bereft of those sons, the sage, overwhelmed with deep grief, departed once more from the hermitage.

1.167.2 He saw a river full with fresh waters in the rainy season, carrying along many kinds of trees that grew on its banks, O Pārtha.

1.167.3 Then a thought again came to him, O scion of the Paurava line: 'I shall submerge myself in the waters of this river,' filled with sorrow.

1.167.4 Then the great sage, binding himself tightly with cords, plunged into the waters of that great river, deeply distressed.

1.167.5 But the river cut through those cords, O crusher of enemy forces, and released the sage upright, free of bonds.

1.167.6 Having emerged, freed from the cords, the great sage then named that river Vipāśā — 'freed from bonds' — and so the great sage named it.

1.167.7 He then set his mind again upon ending his grief, and did not stay in one place; he wandered to mountains, rivers, and lakes.

1.167.8 Then that sage came again to a Himālayan river full of fierce crocodiles, and cast himself into its current.

1.167.9 That best of rivers, reflecting upon that brahmin who was equal to fire, split into a hundred streams; hence it became known as Shatadru — 'flowing in a hundred streams.'

1.167.10 Seeing himself deposited on dry land even there, he said to himself, 'Death is not possible for me,' and returned once more to his hermitage.

1.167.11 Followed by his daughter-in-law Adṛśyantī, walking toward the hermitage, he suddenly heard from behind the sound of Vedic recitation, complete with its six auxiliary disciplines, full of meaning.

1.167.12 'Who is this that follows me?' he asked. His daughter-in-law replied: 'I am Adṛśyantī by name — the wife of Śakti, O great one, a devoted ascetic.'

1.167.13 Vasiṣṭha said: 'O daughter, whose is this sound of the recitation of the Veda with its limbs? I heard it long ago from Śakti, reciting the Veda with its limbs.'

1.167.14 Adṛśyantī said: 'This is the embryo of Śakti, your son, arisen in my womb; for twelve years, O sage, he has been here practicing the Vedas.'

1.167.15 The gandharva said: Thus spoken to, Vasiṣṭha, that sage of the highest fortune, rejoiced, and saying 'The lineage endures,' he turned back from death, O Pārtha.

1.167.16 Then, having turned back, he and his daughter-in-law saw Kalmāṣapāda sitting in a deserted forest, O sinless one.

1.167.17 As soon as the king saw him, O Bhārata, he rose up in rage, possessed by the fierce demon, and intended to devour him.

1.167.18 Adṛśyantī, seeing that cruel-actioned one before them, spoke these words to Vasiṣṭha in a voice trembling with fear:

1.167.19 'That terrible demon approaches here, O venerable one, like death itself, bearing a raised club of wood.'

1.167.20 'There is no one else on earth today able to restrain him, except you, O great one, best among all who know the Vedas.'

1.167.21 'Protect me, O venerable one, from this terrible-looking evil — the demon surely intends to devour us both here.'

1.168.1 Vasiṣṭha said: 'Fear not, O daughter — you need have no fear whatsoever of a demon. The terror you see approaching is not a demon.'

1.168.2 'This is King Kalmāṣapāda, renowned on earth for his valor; it is he who dwells in this region of the forest in this terrible form.'

1.168.3 The gandharva said: Seeing him rushing forward, the venerable and radiant sage Vasiṣṭha restrained him with a mere thunder-sound, O Bhārata.

1.168.4 Then, sprinkling him again with water sanctified by mantras, he truly liberated that best of kings from the dreadful demon.

1.168.5 For twelve years he had been possessed — held by the power of Vasiṣṭha himself — as the sun is eclipsed at a sacred juncture.

1.168.6 Freed from the demon, the king illumined that great forest with his splendor, as the sun illumines the twilight clouds.

1.168.7 Having regained his senses, the king bowed with joined palms and spoke in proper form to Vasiṣṭha, that best of sages:

1.168.8 'I am Saudāsa, O great one, your sacrificial patron, O best of twice-born; tell me now what you desire — what shall I do for you?'

1.168.9 Vasiṣṭha said: 'All this has come to pass as was fated. Go and rule your kingdom; and never, O lord of men, disrespect the brahmins.'

1.168.10 The king said: 'I shall never disrespect the best of brahmins, O brahmin; abiding by your instruction, I shall always honor the twice-born.'

1.168.11 'But I wish to receive from you, O best of twice-born, that boon by which I may be freed from debt to the Ikṣvāku lineage, O best among those who know the Vedas.'

1.168.12 'Please go to my beloved queen, who is endowed with virtue, beauty, and fine qualities, to beget the offspring I desire, for the growth of the Ikṣvāku line.'

1.168.13 The gandharva said: 'So I shall give it,' replied Vasiṣṭha to that king there — Vasiṣṭha, best of twice-born, firm in his pledges.

1.168.14 Then in due course the lord of men returned, accompanied by Vasiṣṭha, to Ayodhyā, that most celebrated city in the world, O sinless one.

1.168.15 All the people, rejoicing, came forth to welcome him — that great-souled one now free from sin — as the celestials welcome their lord.

1.168.16 Without delay that lord of men, accompanied by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, entered the city renowned for its righteous deeds.

1.168.17 Then the citizens of Ayodhyā saw him, O king, like the sun risen in due season together with the Puṣya constellation.

1.168.18 For he, the best among the prosperous, filled that Ayodhyā with splendor, as the cool-rayed moon fills the sky when it rises in the autumn season.

1.168.19 That excellent city, with its roads sprinkled and swept clean, adorned with raised banners, gladdened his heart.

1.168.20 Filled with contented and prosperous citizens, that city shone with him at its center, O joy of the Kurus, as Amarāvatī shines with Indra.

1.168.21 Then, after that king of kings had entered the city, the queen, by the king's command, approached Vasiṣṭha.

1.168.22 At the proper season, the great seer Vasiṣṭha, that sage of the highest fortune, united with the queen according to divine rite.

1.168.23 When the embryo was conceived in her, that best of sages, having been saluted by the king, departed again to his hermitage.

1.168.24 When the queen, having carried the embryo for a long time, did not deliver it, she then struck her own womb with a stone.

1.168.25 Then in the twelfth year he was born, O bull among men — the royal sage named Aśmaka, who founded the city of Potana.

1.169.1 The gandharva said: Then Adṛśyantī, dwelling at the hermitage, gave birth to a son who would perpetuate Śakti's line — a second Śakti, O king.

1.169.2 The venerable best of sages himself performed the birth-rites and other ceremonies for his grandson, O best of the Bhāratas.

1.169.3 And since Vasiṣṭha had been saved from death by him even while still in the womb, that one became known in the world as Parāśara.

1.169.4 That virtuous soul regarded Vasiṣṭha as his father from birth, and conducted himself toward him just as toward a father.

1.169.5 He addressed the brahmin-seer Vasiṣṭha as 'Father' in the presence of his mother Adṛśyantī, O Kaunteya, O scorcher of foes.

1.169.6 Hearing that sweet word 'Father,' spoken with full meaning, Adṛśyantī, with eyes full of tears, spoke to him:

1.169.7 'No, child — do not say "Father, Father" — this great sage is not your father. Your father, child, was devoured by a demon in the forest.'

1.169.8 'The one you think of as father — he is not your father, O sinless one. This honored one is the father of your father, that great-souled man.'

1.169.9 Thus addressed, that great-minded, truthful best of sages was afflicted with grief, and resolved to destroy all the worlds.

1.169.10 Vasiṣṭha, that great ascetic, restrained the great-souled one thus resolved, by the reason you shall now hear.

1.169.11 Vasiṣṭha said: 'There was a king on earth known as Kṛtavīrya, that bull among kings, the sacrificial patron of the Bhṛgus and of those who know the Vedas.'

1.169.12 'He, lord of the people, gratified those foremost ones, dear child, with great stores of grain and wealth at the conclusion of the Soma sacrifice.'

1.169.13 'When that tiger among kings had gone to heaven, a need for property arose at some point among his descendants.'

1.169.14 'Learning of the wealth of the Bhṛgus, all those kings went as supplicants to those best of the Bhṛgu lineage, dear child.'

1.169.15 Some of the Bhṛgus buried their imperishable wealth in the earth, while others gave it to twice-born men, knowing the danger from the kṣatriyas.

1.169.16 Yet other Bhṛgus gave those kṣatriyas their wealth as the kṣatriyas desired, O dear one, having seen another motive behind their actions.

1.169.17 Then, O dear one, as a certain kṣatriya was digging the ground by chance, the wealth that had been buried in a Bhārgava household was discovered; all the assembled bull-like kṣatriyas saw it.

1.169.18 Then, overcome with rage and scorning those Bhṛgus who had sought refuge, those mighty bowmen slew them all with sharpened arrows, cutting down even the unborn in the womb, and they roamed across the earth.

1.169.19 Then, as the Bhṛgus were being exterminated in this manner out of fear, O dear one, the wives of the Bhṛgus fled to the Himālaya mountain.

1.169.20 Among them, one Brahmin woman, in fear, bore a radiant embryo concealed in her left thigh for the propagation of her husband's lineage; those kṣatriyas saw that Brahmin woman blazing with her own splendor.

1.169.21 Then that embryo burst through the Brahmin woman's thigh and issued forth, blinding the sight of the kṣatriyas like the midday sun; and those, now deprived of sight, wandered bewildered in the mountain fastnesses.

1.169.22 Then those bull-like kṣatriyas, their plans foiled and stricken with fear, took refuge with that blameless Brahmin woman for the sake of their sight.

1.169.23 And those kṣatriyas, bewildered and deprived of light, tormented by suffering like fires with extinguished flames, spoke to that illustrious woman.

1.169.24 "By the grace of Your Holiness, may the kṣatriya class regain its sight; and may we, having desisted from our evil deeds, depart together as one."

1.169.25 "You, together with your son, should bestow grace on all of us; by restoring sight you should rescue these kings."

1.170.1 The Brahmin woman said: "I do not take your sight from you, O dear ones; I am not filled with anger. But this Bhārgava who was born from the thigh is surely angered with you today."

1.170.2 "By him, that great-souled one, your sight has surely been seized in his rage, as he remembers his kinsmen who were slain — of this there is no doubt."

1.170.3 "When you were slaying even the embryos of the Bhṛgus, O sons, it was then that I bore this embryo in my thigh for a hundred years."

1.170.4 "The entire Veda with its six ancillaries entered this child even while he was still in the womb, desiring to do what is most pleasing to the lineage of Bhṛgu."

1.170.5 "This one now wishes to slay you in his rage over his father's murder; it is by whose divine energy your eyes have been stripped away."

1.170.6 "Entreat him, O dear ones — Aurva, my most excellent son; pleased by your prostration, he will release your sight."

1.170.7 The Gandharva said: Thus addressed, all those kings then spoke to him who had been born from the thigh, saying "Be pleased," and he thereupon showed them his grace.

1.170.8 And by this very fact he became renowned by that name throughout the worlds — that best of men, the brahmin seer Aurva, born by bursting through the thigh (ūru).

1.170.9 Having recovered their sight, the kings then departed; but the Bhārgava sage resolved upon the destruction of all the worlds.

1.170.10 That great-minded one, O dear one, turned his mind entirely and utterly toward the destruction of all the worlds.

1.170.11 That best of the Bhṛgus, wishing to exact retribution for the Bhṛgus, magnified by his great austerities, turned his mind toward the destruction of all the worlds.

1.170.12 He tormented the worlds, including gods, asuras, and humans, with his fierce great austerities, intent on gladdening his ancestral fathers.

1.170.13 Then his ancestral fathers, O dear one, recognizing that best of the Bhṛgus, all came from the world of the ancestors and spoke these words to him.

1.170.14 "Aurva, we have witnessed the power of your fierce austerity, dear son. Show grace to the worlds; restrain your wrath."

1.170.15 "For at that time, O dear one, the slaughter by those kṣatriyas who were doing violence was deliberately overlooked by all those Bhṛgus of cultivated soul, who were not powerless."

1.170.16 "For when, having lived to a very great age, weariness entered us, it was then, O dear one, that we ourselves desired to be slain by the kṣatriyas."

1.170.17 "Indeed that wealth buried in a certain Bhārgava household was deposited there precisely in order to create enmity, by those who wished to provoke the kṣatriyas to anger. What use is wealth to us, O best of twice-born, who are longing for heaven?"

1.170.18 "But when Death was utterly unable to take us, then this means was seen and approved by us, O dear one."

1.170.19 "And a man who kills himself, O dear one, does not attain the auspicious worlds; therefore, having considered this, we did not destroy ourselves by our own hand."

1.170.20 "Nor is this pleasing to us, dear one — what you wish to do now. Restrain this mind from the sin of destroying all the worlds."

1.170.21 "For no kṣatriyas and no seven worlds, O son, can taint our austerities and our splendor. Abandon this wrath that has arisen."

1.171.1 Aurva said: "The vow I made in my wrath back then, O ancestors, for the destruction of all the worlds — that must not go unfulfilled for me."

1.171.2 "For I am not able to live on as one whose wrathful vow goes in vain; the unfulfilled wrath would burn me like fire burns kindling-wood."

1.171.3 "The man who endures wrath that has arisen for just cause is not capable of properly protecting the three aims of life."

1.171.4 "Wrath is justly employed by kings who desire heaven, as a restrainer of the undisciplined and a protector of the disciplined."

1.171.5 "I heard, lying in the thigh, resting in the womb-bed, the outcry of the company of mothers at the slaughter of the Bhṛgus by the kṣatriyas."

1.171.6 "When the utter extermination of the Bhṛgus, down to the unborn in the womb, by the lowest of kṣatriyas was endured by the worlds together with the gods, then wrath seized me."

1.171.7 "My mothers and fathers, it seems, overflowing with power, did not find a refuge in any of the worlds out of fear."

1.171.8 "When no one then came to the aid of those wives of the Bhṛgus, it was then that this auspicious one bore me alone in her thigh."

1.171.9 "When a restrainer of evil exists in the worlds, then an evildoer finds no foothold in all the worlds."

1.171.10 "But when the evildoer finds no restrainer anywhere, then many in the world persist in evil deeds."

1.171.11 "And he who, though knowing evil and capable, does not restrain it, even though he is the lord — he too becomes implicated in that very deed."

1.171.12 "If my fathers, though able, could not be protected by kings and lords — counting life here as desirable —"

1.171.13 "— therefore I am enraged against them; being today the lord of the worlds. Yet your words I am not able to simply transgress."

1.171.14 "And for me too, as an existing lord, this would be a great thing — again to have fear of sin from overlooking the worlds."

1.171.15 "And this fire born of my wrath, which wishes to devour the worlds — if suppressed, it would burn me myself with its own energy."

1.171.16 "I know your desire for the welfare of all the worlds. Therefore, O lords, ordain what is best for the worlds and for me."

1.171.17 The ancestral fathers said: "This fire born of your wrath that wishes to devour the worlds — release it into the waters; good fortune to you, for the worlds are established in water."

1.171.18 "All flavors are water-born, the entire world is water-born; therefore release this fire of wrath into the waters, O best of twice-born."

1.171.19 "Let this fire of your wrath remain, O brahmin, in the great ocean if you so wish, burning the waters — for the worlds are declared to be water-born."

1.171.20 "Thus this vow of yours will be fulfilled, O sinless one, and the worlds together with the gods will not come to destruction."

1.171.21 Vasiṣṭha said: Then Aurva, O dear one, released that fire born of wrath into the abode of Varuṇa; and that fire indeed uses the waters, dwelling in the great ocean.

1.171.22 Becoming a great horse's head — which those who know the Veda know of — it continually drinks the waters of the great ocean, vomiting forth that fire from its mouth.

1.171.23 "Therefore you too, good fortune to you, should not desire to destroy the worlds, O Parāśara; knowing the highest dharmas, O best among the wise."

1.172.1 The Gandharva said: Thus addressed by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, that brahmin seer restrained his own wrath from destroying all the worlds.

1.172.2 And that son of Śakti, the greatly resplendent Parāśara, best among those who know all the Vedas, performed a rākṣasa-sacrifice.

1.172.3 Then that great sage, remembering the murder of Śakti, burned both aged and young rākṣasas in that extended sacrifice.

1.172.4 For Vasiṣṭha did not restrain him from the slaughter of the rākṣasas, out of the firm resolve: "I must not break his vow a second time."

1.172.5 That great sage in that sacrifice stood before the three blazing sacred fires like a fourth fire.

1.172.6 By that pure sacrifice being offered in the proper manner, the sky was illuminated, like by the sun at the end of the rainy season.

1.172.7 All the sages there, led by Vasiṣṭha, regarded him, blazing in the sky with his splendor, as a second sun.

1.172.8 Then Atri, that sage of noble intellect, wishing to bring to completion that sacrifice which was supremely difficult for others to complete, approached him.

1.172.9 Likewise Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu also approached that great sacrifice, O slayer of enemies, desiring life for the rākṣasas.

1.172.10 Then Pulastya, O bull of the Bhāratas, O Pārtha, spoke these words to Parāśara the tamer of enemies, to stop the slaughter of those rākṣasas.

1.172.11 "I hope you are without impediment, dear one; I hope you find joy, O son — not in the slaughter of all these rākṣasas who are ignorant and without fault."

1.172.12 "This total extermination of a lineage, O best among soma-drinkers — you, being among the highest, are doing what is most unrighteous, O Parāśara. And King Kalmāṣapāda now desires to ascend to heaven."

1.172.13 "And those sons of the great sage Vasiṣṭha who were superior to Śakti — they all rejoice with delight, together with the gods. All this is known to Vasiṣṭha, O great sage."

1.172.14 "And the extermination of these ascetic rākṣasas — you, O son of Vasiṣṭha's joy, have been the instrument of it in this sacrifice. Release this sacrifice; good fortune to you — let this be concluded."

1.172.15 Thus addressed by Pulastya and the wise Vasiṣṭha, that son of Śakti, Parāśara, then brought the sacrifice to a close.

1.172.16 The sage released the fire that had been gathered for the universal rākṣasa-sacrifice on the northern slope of the Himālayas, in the great forest.

1.172.17 That fire is seen there even today, consuming rākṣasas, trees, and very rocks, always at each and every new moon and full moon.

1.173.1 Arjuna said: "For what reason was the wife appointed to that teacher, the best among knowers of Brahman, by King Kalmāṣapāda?"

1.173.2 "And why did the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, knowing the highest dharma and worldly propriety, approach one who was unapproachable? That great-souled one did so in the past — you should tell me everything, as I ask."

1.173.3 The Gandharva said: "Listen to this, O Dhanaṃjaya, that which you ask me about — regarding Vasiṣṭha the invincible and likewise the king who endured his enemies."

1.173.4 "I have told you earlier, O best of the Bhāratas, how that king was cursed by Śakti, the great-souled son of Vasiṣṭha."

1.173.5 "But that king, having fallen under the power of the curse, his eyes overwhelmed with fury, departed from the city together with his wife, O scorcher of enemies."

1.173.6 "Having gone to the uninhabited forest, he wandered together with his wife through it — teeming with many herds of deer, crowded with many creatures."

1.173.7 "Dense with thickets of various shrubs and vines, covered with various trees, that forest resounding with dreadful sounds — he, seized by the curse, roamed through it."

1.173.8 "One day, seized with hunger, searching for food for himself, greatly afflicted, he came upon a certain forest stream and saw a Brahmin woman and a Brahmin man who had come together for the purpose of union."

1.173.9 Seeing those two, frightened and having not achieved their purpose, they fled; but as the two ran away, the king seized the brahmin by force.

1.173.10 Seeing her husband seized, the brahmin woman then spoke: "Listen, O king, to the words I will speak to you, O virtuous one."

1.173.11 "You are indeed born of the lineage of the Sun, celebrated throughout the world, ever-vigilant, established in righteousness, and devoted to the service of your teacher."

1.173.12 "You have received a curse, O unconquerable one — you ought not to commit sin. The fertile season having arrived, I have today come together with my husband."

1.173.13 "I have not yet attained my purpose with my husband, and my longing for offspring is great. Be pleased, O best of kings — let this husband of mine be released."

1.173.14 Even as she cried out thus, that doer of terrible deeds devoured her husband as a tiger devours a coveted deer.

1.173.15 The tears that fell to the ground from her, overcome with rage, became a blazing fire and lit up that very place.

1.173.16 Then she, tormented by grief and afflicted by the calamity of losing her husband, that brahmin woman cursed the royal sage Kalmāṣapāda in fury.

1.173.17 "Because, O wretch, you have cruelly devoured before my eyes my lord and husband of great glory, while I had not yet achieved my purpose —"

1.173.18 "Therefore you too, O evil-minded one, struck by my curse, shall instantly give up your life the moment you approach your wife in her fertile season."

1.173.19 "The sons of that seer Vasiṣṭha were destroyed by you; having united with him, your wife shall bear a son — that son who perpetuates your lineage shall be born, O most vile of kings."

1.173.20 Having thus cursed the king, that auspicious woman of Āṅgirasa descent entered the blazing sacred fire right there in his presence.

1.173.21 And the highly blessed Vasiṣṭha witnessed all of this, O scorcher of foes, through the power of great knowledge and his austerities.

1.173.22 After a great length of time the royal sage was released from the curse; and when at the fertile season he approached Madayantī, he was restrained by her.

1.173.23 The king, bewildered by the curse, did not recall that curse; but upon hearing the queen's words, that best of kings, recollecting the curse, was then greatly tormented.

1.173.24 For this reason the king, afflicted by the fault of the curse, engaged Vasiṣṭha with his own wife, O best of the Bhāratas.

1.174.1 Arjuna said: "Indeed, tell us, O Gandharva, who would be a suitable purohita for us — one learned in the Vedas. All is known to you."

1.174.2 The Gandharva said: "The younger brother of Devala practices austerity in the forest — Dhaumya, at the ford called Utkocaka. Choose him if you wish."

1.174.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Arjuna duly gave the Āgneya weapon to the Gandharva, and pleased, spoke these words to him.

1.174.4 "Let the horses remain with you for now, O best of Gandharvas; I will take them when the time for their use arrives" — and he also said: "May you fare well."

1.174.5 They honoured one another, and then the Gandharva and the Pāṇḍavas departed as they wished from the pleasant bank of the Bhāgīrathī.

1.174.6 Then, going to the ford of Utkocaka and to Dhaumya's hermitage, the Pāṇḍavas chose Dhaumya for the office of purohita, O Bhārata.

1.174.7 Dhaumya, the foremost among those who know all the Vedas, received them with water for the feet and with fruits and roots, and also took on the office of purohita for them.

1.174.8 Then the Pāṇḍavas, placing that brahmin foremost, hoped to obtain prosperity and kingdom, and also the svayaṃvara of the Pāñcālī.

1.174.9 Those bulls among the Bhāratas, together with their mother — six of them — united with that teacher, then considered themselves as though they had a protector.

1.174.10 For that noble-minded one, knowing the true import of the Vedas, became their teacher; by him, who was learned in righteousness and all knowledge, the Pārthas were made fit to be officiated for in sacrifice.

1.174.11 He regarded those heroes as having attained kingship by their own duty, endowed with intelligence, heroism, strength, and enterprise — like other gods.

1.174.12 Having had the auspicious rites performed for them by him, those lords of men then resolved together to go to the svayaṃvara of the Pāñcālī.

1.175.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then those five brothers, tigers among men, the Pāṇḍavas, set out to see Draupadī and that great festival equal to the gods.

1.175.2 Those tigers among men, scorchers of foes, as they set out together with their mother, saw on the road many brahmins going with their groups.

1.175.3 The brahmins, O king, spoke to those Pāṇḍavas who appeared as celibate students: "Where are you gentlemen going, and from where have you come?"

1.175.4 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Know us, O seers of the divine, as brothers come from Ekacakrā, travelling together with our mother."

1.175.5 The brahmins said: "Go today itself to the Pāñcāla lands, to the dwelling of Drupada — a great svayaṃvara with enormous riches will take place there."

1.175.6 "We too are travelling in the same caravan and heading there; for a great festival of wondrous appearance will take place there."

1.175.7 "The daughter of Yajñasena, the great-souled Drupada, born from the midst of the sacrificial altar, her eyes resembling the petals of a lotus —"

1.175.8 "— beautiful to behold, with faultless limbs, tender, spirited, the sister of Dhṛṣṭadyumna the powerful, enemy of Droṇa —"

1.175.9 "— who was born, the great-armed one, clad in armour, bearing sword, arrows and bow, from the well-kindled sacred fire, blazing like fire itself —"

1.175.10 "— the sister of that one, the faultless-limbed Draupadī of slender waist, whose fragrance, equal to that of a blue lotus, wafts from a league away —"

1.175.11 "— to see her, the daughter of Yajñasena, for whom the svayaṃvara occasion has been arranged, and that great festival equal to the gods, we are going."

1.175.12 "Kings and princes, performers of sacrifice with lavish gifts, devoted to Vedic study, pure, great-souled, firm in their vows —"

1.175.13 "— young, handsome, come from various lands, great warriors, skilled in arms — these lords of the earth will assemble there."

1.175.14 "Those lords of men will give there various gifts for the sake of winning — wealth, cows, and all manner of food and provisions."

1.175.15 "Having received all of that, and having seen the svayaṃvara, and having enjoyed the festival, we shall go as we desire."

1.175.16 "Actors, bards, dancers, sūtas and māgadhas, and mighty wrestlers will assemble there from various lands."

1.175.17 "Having thus gratified your curiosity, and having seen and received gifts, O great-souled ones, you shall return with us."

1.175.18 "And having seen all of you, handsome as gods, as you stand there, Kṛṣṇā might by chance choose one among you as her chosen lord."

1.175.19 "This brother of yours, glorious, handsome, and mighty-armed — competing, he might by chance win great wealth."

1.175.20 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Most certainly, sirs, we shall go, all of us together with you, to see that great festival equal to the gods and the svayaṃvara of that maiden."

1.176.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, the Pāṇḍavas set out, O Janamejaya, to the southern Pāñcāla lands protected by king Drupada.

1.176.2 Then, O king, the Pāṇḍavas saw on the road that great-souled one, the pure-souled and sinless Dvaipāyana.

1.176.3 Having honoured him duly, being comforted by him, and at the end of their conversation receiving his permission, they proceeded to the abode of Drupada.

1.176.4 Beholding the charming forests and lakes, resting here and there, those great warriors went slowly.

1.176.5 Devoted to Vedic study, pure, gentle and sweet-spoken, the Kuru princes arrived in due order in the Pāñcāla country.

1.176.6 The Pāṇḍavas, having seen the city and the encampment, then took up lodging in the workshop of a potter.

1.176.7 There they collected alms, living by the way of a brahmin; no one anywhere recognised those heroes who had arrived.

1.176.8 But the wish of Yajñasena was always: "May I give Kṛṣṇā to the Pāṇḍava, the diadem-wearer" — yet he did not reveal this.

1.176.9 The Pāñcāla king, O Janamejaya, O Bhārata, searching for the Kaunteyās, had a mighty bow made that was impossible to string.

1.176.10 He also had made an artificial machine in the sky, and along with that machine the king had a golden target made.

1.176.11 Drupada said: "He who, having strung this bow and with these arrows from it, passes through the machine and strikes the target — he shall win my daughter."

1.176.12 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus king Drupada had it proclaimed everywhere; hearing it, all the kings, O Bhārata, gathered there.

1.176.13 And great-souled sages, wishing to witness the svayaṃvara, as well as the Kurus headed by Duryodhana and accompanied by Karṇa, O king —

1.176.14 — and greatly blessed brahmins came from various lands; those groups of kings were honoured by the great-souled Drupada.

1.176.15 Then all the townsfolk, with a roar like that raised by the ocean, reached the city of Śiśumāra; those kings too took up residence there.

1.176.16 To the northeast of the city, on a level and auspicious plot of ground, the festival arena shone, surrounded on all sides by pavilions.

1.176.17 Enclosed with a wall and moat, adorned with gate-arches, covered everywhere with a variegated canopy —

1.176.18 — filled with hundreds of bands of musical instruments, perfumed with the finest aguru incense, sprinkled with sandalwood water, and adorned with garlands and festoons —

1.176.19 — firmly built, enclosed on all sides with well-constructed tall palaces that resembled the peaks of mount Kailāsa and scraped the sky —

1.176.20 — covered with golden lattice-work, adorned with gem-set floors, with stairs easy to ascend, furnished with great seats and coverings —

1.176.21 — spread with garments fit for the non-rustic, fragrant with the finest aguru, white as swans, many of them, their perfume carrying for leagues —

1.176.22 — with hundreds of unobstructed doors, beautified with beds and seats, their bodies studded with many minerals — like the peaks of the Himālaya —

1.176.23 There all the kings, splendidly adorned, vying with one another, took their seats in the various kinds of royal pavilions.

1.176.24 There they saw seated those lions among kings, of great spirit and valour, greatly blessed, adorned with black aguru paste.

1.176.25 Greatly gracious, devoted to the brahmins, protectors of their own kingdoms, dear to all the world through their good deeds and auspicious actions.

1.176.26 On the most excellent galleries the townspeople and country-folk sat down everywhere, eager for the delight of seeing Kṛṣṇā.

1.176.27 The Pāṇḍavas too, together with the brahmins, sat down, beholding the unsurpassed prosperity of the king of Pāñcāla.

1.176.28 Then that assembly grew, O king, over many days, filled with the giving of gems, and beautified by actors and dancers.

1.176.29 While the assembly was in progress, on the charming sixteenth day, having bathed, dressed in fine garments, adorned with all ornaments —

1.176.30 — taking up the hero's bronze vessel that was ornamented with gold, Draupadī then descended into the arena, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.176.31 The purohita of the Somakas, a brahmin learned in mantras, pure, having spread the ritual grass, then poured oblations of clarified butter into the fire according to the rite.

1.176.32 He, having satisfied the blazing fire and having pronounced blessings upon the brahmins, then caused all the musical instruments on every side to cease.

1.176.33 When silence had been made there, O lord of men, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, standing in the centre of the arena, proclaimed loudly in a voice deep as a thundercloud these words — smooth, meaningful, and excellent.

1.176.34 "Here is the bow, here the target, and here the arrows — let all the kings hear me: passing through the aperture of the machine, strike the target with five arrows."

1.176.35 "Whoever shall accomplish this supremely difficult feat, endowed with noble birth, handsome form, and strength — his wife this Kṛṣṇā, my sister, shall become today. I speak no falsehood."

1.176.36 Having thus addressed them, Drupada's son then spoke to Draupadī, proclaiming the names, lineages, and deeds of all those assembled kings.

1.177.1 Dhṛṣṭadyumna said: Duryodhana, Durviṣaha, Durmukha, Duṣpradharṣaṇa, Viviṃśati, Vikarṇa, Saha, and Duḥśāsana —

1.177.2 Yuyutsu, Vātavega, Bhīmavegadhara, Ugrāyudha, Balākī, Kanakāyu, and Virocana —

1.177.3 Sukuṇḍala, Citrasena, Suvarcās, Kanakadhvaja, Nandaka, Bāhuśālī, Kuṇḍaja, and Vikaṭa —

1.177.4 These and many other mighty sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, along with Karṇa — valiant warriors, a hundred in number, great-souled and renowned bulls among kṣatriyas — have come here for your sake.

1.177.5 Śakuni, Bala, Vṛṣaka, and Bṛhadbala — all these sons of the king of Gāndhāra have assembled here.

1.177.6 Aśvatthāmā and Bhoja, the foremost of all weapon-bearers, two great-souled ones, have come together adorned for your sake.

1.177.7 Bṛhanta, Maṇimān, the mighty Daṇḍadhāra, Sahadeva, Jayatsena, and Meghasaṃdhi the Māgadha —

1.177.8 Virāṭa together with his two sons Śaṅkha and Uttara, Vārdhakṣemi, Suvarcās, and king Senābindu —

1.177.9 Abhibhū with his son, Sudāman and Suvarcas, Sumitrā, Sukumāra, Vṛka, and Satyadhṛti —

1.177.10 Sūryadhvaja, Rocamāna, Nīla, Citrāyudha, Aṃśumān, Cekitāna, and the greatly powerful Śreṇimān —

1.177.11 The glorious Candrasena son of Samudrasena, Jalasaṃdha, the father-and-son pair Sudaṇḍa and Daṇḍa —

1.177.12 Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva, the mighty Bhagadatta, Kaliṅga, Tāmralipta, and the lord of harbours —

1.177.13 The king of Madra, Śalya the great chariot-warrior together with his son, along with the hero Rukmāṅgada and Rukmaratha —

1.177.14 The Kaurava Somadatta and his three heroic mahāratha sons assembled together: Bhūri, Bhūriśravas, and Śala —

1.177.15 Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja, Dṛḍhadhanvā the Kaurava, Bṛhadbala, Suṣeṇa, and Śibi of Uśīnara —

1.177.16 Saṃkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, the mighty son of Rukmiṇī, Sāmba, Cārudeṣṇa, Sāraṇa, and Gada —

1.177.17 Akrūra, Sātyaki, the mighty Uddhava, Kṛtavarmā the son of Hṛdika, Pṛthu, and Vipṛthu —

1.177.18 Viḍūratha, Kaṅka, Śamīka, Sāramejaya, the valiant Vātapati, Jhillī, Piṇḍāraka, and the mighty Uśīnara — these Vṛṣṇis have been proclaimed.

1.177.19 Bhagīratha, Bṛhatkṣatra, the Saindhava Jayadratha, Bṛhadratha, Bāhlika, and the mahāratha Śrutāyu —

1.177.20 Ulūka, the Kaitava king, Citrāṅgada, Śubhāṅgada, the steadfast Vatsarāja, and the lord of Kosala —

1.177.21 These and many other lords of various peoples, O fortunate one — kṣatriyas renowned on earth — have come for your sake.

1.177.22 These valiant men will attempt this supreme target for your sake. Whichever one strikes this target, O auspicious one, choose him today."

1.178.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Those adorned, earringed young men, gathered and rivalling one another, each deeming himself supreme in weapons and strength, all sprang up with pride.

1.178.2 Swelling with pride in their beauty, valour, lineage, righteousness, and youth, swept up by the surge of intoxication, they were like lordly elephants from the Himālayas in rut.

1.178.3 Gazing at one another in rivalry, their bodies overwhelmed by desire born of thought, each saying "This Kṛṣṇā is mine," they rose suddenly from their royal seats.

1.178.4 Those kṣatriyas who had entered the arena, assembled and eager to win Drupada's daughter, shone like the hosts of gods gathered around Umā, the daughter of the mountain king.

1.178.5 Their bodies pierced by the arrows of Kandarpa (the god of love), their hearts already gone to Kṛṣṇā, those lords of men who had descended into the arena for Drupada's daughter made even friends into enemies there.

1.178.6 Then the hosts of gods arrived in their celestial cars — the Rudras, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the two Aśvins, all the Sādhyas and the Maruts — with Yama and Dhaneśvara (Kubera) leading them.

1.178.7 The Daityas, the Suparṇas, the great serpents, divine sages, Guhyakas, Cāraṇas, Viśvāvasu, Nārada and Parvata, and the chief Gandharvas together with the Apsarases —

1.178.8 Halāyudha and Keśava were there too, and the foremost among the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas watched; those bulls of the Yadu clan stood abiding by Kṛṣṇa's judgment.

1.178.9 Seeing those Pārthas — like lordly elephants in rut, like five lordly elephants of highest excellence, like fires whose bodies are covered with ash — that foremost hero of the Yadus pondered.

1.178.10 He whispered to Rāma identifying Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Jiṣṇu (Arjuna), and the twin heroes; and having observed them slowly and carefully, Rāma looked at Janārdana with a delighted mind.

1.178.11 Other princes and grandsons of kings, their eyes and minds naturally drawn to Kṛṣṇā, straining with effort, watched her moving about — their faces copper-red as they bit their lips.

1.178.12 Likewise the broad-armed Pārthas and those two majestic twin heroes — all of them, beholding Draupadī at that moment, were struck by the arrows of Kandarpa.

1.178.13 That space was crowded with divine sages and Gandharvas, frequented by Suparṇas, Nāgas, Asuras, and Siddhas, filled with divine fragrance and strewn with divine garlands —

1.178.14 — and with the great reverberating sounds of kettledrums, the sky became crowded; it grew dense with celestial cars on all sides, resonant with flutes, vīṇās, and paṇava drums.

1.178.15 Then those assemblies of kings, striving one after another for Kṛṣṇā's sake, O king, were unable even by force to string that powerful bow.

1.178.16 Those lords of men, straining and being flung away by the rigid, quivering bow, lay writhing on the ground — they appeared pitiful, their spirits broken.

1.178.17 With cries of despair, their armlets and earrings crushed and shattered by that unyielding bow, their confidence for Kṛṣṇā's sake exhausted — the circle of kings was in distress then.

1.178.18 But while the assembly was in turmoil and those lords of men had given up the attempt, Jiṣṇu, the son of Kuntī, that hero, desired to string that bow and take up the arrows.

1.179.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When the kings had desisted from the task of stringing the bow, then Jiṣṇu of noble mind rose up from the midst of the brāhmaṇas.

1.179.2 The chief brāhmaṇas cried out, waving their deerskins, upon seeing Pārtha advance — he who was as radiant as Indra's banner.

1.179.3 Some were despondent; some were filled with joy; and some among them — the sharp-witted men who live by their intellect — spoke to one another:

1.179.4 "That which was not bent by powerful kings world-renowned and devoted to the science of archery — Karṇa, Śalya, and others at their head —

1.179.5 — how can that bow be strung, O brāhmaṇas, by one who has not mastered weapons, who is more feeble than those alive, who is merely a young student?"

1.179.6 "The brāhmaṇas will become a laughingstock before all kings if this deed is not accomplished and we entered it rashly without reflection."

1.179.7 "If he has set out to seize the bow out of pride or boldness, or out of the fickleness of a brāhmaṇa youth, it would be well to stop him — let him not go."

1.179.8 "We shall not become objects of ridicule, nor shall we be placed in a position of lightness, nor shall we incur the hostility of the kings of the earth."

1.179.9 Others said: "He is a young man of splendour, like the trunk of the king of elephants, with broad shoulders and mighty arms, and in steadfastness like the Himālaya —"

1.179.10 "This feat seems possible in him, and from his enthusiasm his great ability may be inferred — for one who is incapable would not go forward of his own accord."

1.179.11 "And there is no deed whatsoever in the worlds that would be unachievable for brāhmaṇas who dwell and move in the three states."

1.179.12 "Living on water, living on air, or subsisting on fruit alone, firm in their vows, the brāhmaṇas are indeed stronger than the strong by the blazing power of brahman."

1.179.13 "A brāhmaṇa is not to be despised, whether he conducts himself well or ill — whether the deed that has come to him be pleasant or painful, great or small."

1.179.14 While the brāhmaṇas were thus lamenting with these various words, Arjuna stood near the bow, immovable as a mountain.

1.179.15 He circumambulated the bow, then performed the reverential pradakṣiṇa (clockwise circuit), bowed his head in obeisance with delight, and grasped it — he the scorcher of foes.

1.179.16 In the twinkling of an eye he strung it; he took up five arrows, pierced the target, and it fell — suddenly shot through via the aperture, falling to the ground.

1.179.17 Then a sound arose in the sky and a great roar in the midst of the assembly; the gods rained divine flowers upon Pārtha's head — he who destroys his enemies.

1.179.18 The people waved their garments everywhere and cried out in wonder; showers of flowers fell from the sky on all sides.

1.179.19 A hundred musical instruments were played by musicians; gatherings of Sūtas and Māgadhas praised him there with sweet voices.

1.179.20 Seeing this, Drupada the destroyer of enemies was filled with joy; and he, together with his army, desired to come to Pārtha's aid.

1.179.21 But when that great sound had risen, Yudhiṣṭhira, the most excellent among those who uphold dharma, quickly went back to their dwelling together with the two foremost of men, the twins.

1.179.22 But Kṛṣṇā, having fully observed the target struck and gazing upon Pārtha who was equal to Indra, took up a white bridal garland and went to the son of Kuntī with a smile.

1.179.23 He, having won her and taking her, being honoured by those twice-born ones, departed from the arena — he of inconceivable deeds — followed by that wife of his.

1.180.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As he sought to give the maiden to that great-souled brāhmaṇa, anger arose among the kings as they looked at one another nearby.

1.180.2 "Passing over us and treating us who are assembled here as worthless as grass, he wishes to give Draupadī — the most excellent of women — to a brāhmaṇa."

1.180.3 "Let us slay this wicked-souled one who has no regard for us — he deserves no respect, nor does he merit the customary honour by virtue of any qualities."

1.180.4 "Let us slay him along with his son — this man of evil conduct, hostile to kings — for having invited all the lords of men, honoured and well-feasted them, he now despises them afterwards."

1.180.5 "In this assembly of kings, like the gathering of gods, has he truly not seen any king who is his equal?"

1.180.6 "And the brāhmaṇas have no right regarding the choice — the svayaṃvara belongs to kṣatriyas: this is the well-known scriptural injunction."

1.180.7 "Or if this maiden does not wish for anyone here, let us cast her into the fire and depart to our kingdoms, O kings."

1.180.8 "But if a brāhmaṇa has done this disagreeable thing out of youth or greed, this one must not be slain under any circumstances —"

1.180.9 "— for our kingdoms, our lives, our riches, our sons and grandsons, and whatever other wealth we possess all exist for the sake of brāhmaṇas."

1.180.10 "Out of fear of disgrace and for the protection of our own dharma, and so that other svayaṃvaras do not end thus — let this not be the outcome."

1.180.11 Having thus spoken, those tiger-like kings — joyful, with arms like iron bars — took up their weapons and rushed upon Drupada to seize him.

1.180.12 Seeing those kings — bows and arrows in hand, furious, charging — Drupada, seized with terror, took refuge among the brāhmaṇas.

1.180.13 But those two sons of Pāṇḍu, the greatly valiant and enemy-taming pair, stood forth to meet those kings charging with fury like elephants in rut.

1.180.14 Then those kings leapt up with weapons raised, their fingers bound with finger-guards, intent on killing the two sons of the Kuru king, inflamed with rage at Arjuna and Bhīmasena.

1.180.15 Then Bhīma, that hero of wondrous valor in battle, mighty as a thunderbolt, that lone champion, uprooted a tree with his two arms and stripped it of its branches, as a lordly elephant would do.

1.180.16 Taking that tree like Yama grasping his terrible staff, the slayer of foes — that Pārtha of broad and long arms — stood close beside the bull among men, Arjuna.

1.180.17 Witnessing that feat which surpassed human comprehension — the deed of Jiṣṇu together with his brother — Dāmodara of inconceivable acts spoke these words to his brother of fierce valor, Halaayudha.

1.180.18 "He who moves like a rutting bull and draws that great bow measuring a palm-tree's height — he is Arjuna; there is no doubt about this. If I am Vāsudeva, O Saṅkarṣaṇa."

1.180.19 "And he who, having swiftly uprooted that tree at the tumult of the kings, has now turned back — he is Vṛkodara; no other among mortal men on this earth would be capable of that today."

1.180.20 "He who stands foremost with lotus-wide eyes, slender, with the gait of a great lion, composed, fair-complexioned, with a long, gleaming and beautiful nose — he who has stepped forth, O Acyuta, is the Dharmarāja."

1.180.21 "Those two who appear like a pair of young Karttikeyas — they are the two sons of the Aśvins, so I surmise; for I have heard that the sons of Pāṇḍu and Pṛthā escaped from the burning of the house of lac."

1.180.22 Halaayudha, radiant as pure water, glad and confident, spoke to his younger brother: "I am delighted, for by fortune our father's sister Pṛthā has been freed together with the foremost of the Kauravas."

1.181.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Shaking their antelope skins and water-pots, those foremost among twice-born ones spoke to him: "Have no fear — we shall fight the enemies."

1.181.2 Arjuna, as if smiling, spoke to those brahmins who were saying this: "You stand to the side as spectators."

1.181.3 "I shall hold back these enraged ones by scattering hundreds of straight-tipped arrows upon them, as mantras hold back venomous serpents."

1.181.4 Having said this, that great warrior took up the bow won as the bride-price and stood together with his brother Bhīma, immovable as a mountain.

1.181.5 Then those two fearless ones charged against those angry kshatriyas led by Karṇa who had risen up in fury, as two bull-elephants charge against rival elephants.

1.181.6 And those kings, intent on killing, spoke harsh words: "Even the slaying of a twice-born man in battle is justified when he desires to fight."

1.181.7 Then Karṇa, the son of Vikartana, went with full force toward Arjuna seeking battle, as an elephant goes toward a rival elephant for the sake of a cow in rut.

1.181.8 The mighty Śalya, lord of the Madras, went against Bhīmasena, while Duryodhana and the others, in conflict with the brahmins, fought gently and without effort in that battle.

1.181.9 Then wise Arjuna, drawing his bow with full strength, shot back at the onrushing Karṇa, son of Vikartana, with three arrows.

1.181.10 Stunned by the force of those sharp arrows blazing with fierce energy, Rādheya strove with all effort and pressed after him.

1.181.11 Both of them, incomparable in swiftness, foremost among conquerors, fought with fierce intensity, each striving for victory over the other.

1.181.12 "See stroke met with counterstroke — see the might of my arms!" — with such warrior-proud words they addressed each other in turn.

1.181.13 Then Karṇa the son of Vikartana, recognizing the incomparable valor of Arjuna's arms, fought on enraged, matching him blow for blow.

1.181.14 Deflecting those swift arrows launched by Arjuna, Karṇa then roared aloud, and the soldiers honored him with acclaim.

1.181.15 Karṇa said: "I am pleased with you, O foremost of brahmins, with the strength of your arms in combat, with your undaunted spirit, and with your mastery of both weapons and missile-lore."

1.181.16 "Are you Dhanurveda incarnate, or Rāma himself, O best of brahmins? Or are you perhaps Indra of the bay horses in person, or Viṣṇu the Infallible in bodily form?"

1.181.17 "Concealing your true identity and relying on the strength of your arms, you have assumed this brahmin form and then fight me."

1.181.18 "No man other than the lord of Śacī himself or the diademed Pāṇḍava would be capable of fighting me in battle when I am enraged."

1.181.19 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: To Karṇa speaking thus, Phalguna replied there: "I am not Dhanurveda, O Karṇa, nor am I the glorious Rāma. I am a brahmin, the foremost in battle, the best among all who bear weapons."

1.181.20 "I am accomplished in both the Brahmā and Pauramdara weapon-sciences by the teaching of my guru. I stand here today in battle to conquer you. Stand firm, O hero."

1.181.21 Thus addressed, Rādheya Karṇa withdrew from the battle, that great chariot-warrior deeming the brahminic energy arrayed against him unconquerable.

1.181.22 O king, Śalya and Vṛkodara, both mighty, intoxicated with pride and strength, engaged in combat simultaneously, rival in their rivalry.

1.181.23 Challenging each other like two great maddened elephants, they struck one another with fists and with knees, and for a moment they dragged each other about on the battlefield.

1.181.24 Then Bhīma, foremost among the strong, lifted Śalya with both arms in the midst of battle and hurled him down; thereupon the brahmins laughed.

1.181.25 There the bull among men, Bhīmasena, performed a wonder — though mighty himself, he did not strike the mighty Śalya as he lay fallen on the ground.

1.181.26 With Śalya thrown down by Bhīmasena and Karṇa intimidated, all the frightened kings surrounded Vṛkodara.

1.181.27 And they said to one another: "These are certainly foremost among brahmins. Let it be known where they were born and where they dwell."

1.181.28 "Who indeed would be capable of fighting Rādhā's son in battle other than Rāma, or Droṇa, or Kṛpa son of Śaradvat,

1.181.29 or Kṛṣṇa the son of Devakī, or Phalguna the scorcher of foes? And who would be capable of fighting back against Duryodhana in battle,

1.181.30 and likewise against Śalya the king of the Madras, best among the strong — no one but Baladeva the hero, or the Pāṇḍava Vṛkodara?"

1.181.31 "Let withdrawal be made from this battle combined with brahmins; then, once we have identified them here, we shall fight them again."

1.181.32 Kṛṣṇa, observing that feat of Bhīma and growing suspicious about those two sons of Kuntī, restrained those kings, appeasing them all with the argument that she had been lawfully won.

1.181.33 Those foremost of kings, skilled in battle, having thus been turned back from the fight, all departed to their own lodgings in amazement.

1.181.34 "The arena has been dominated by a brahmin; the Pāñcālī princess has been chosen by brahmins" — saying this, all who had assembled there departed.

1.181.35 Bhīmasena and Dhanañjaya, covered with disguise by brahmins wearing robes of black-deer hide, with difficulty made their way back.

1.181.36 Free from the press of the crowd, scratched by enemies, followed by Kṛṣṇa, those two heroes among men shone brilliantly there.

1.181.37 Their mother anxiously thought of many forms of destruction as the appointed hour for alms-gathering passed by and her sons had not yet returned.

1.181.38 "Might the bulls of the Kurus have been slain by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, knowing who they are, or by Rākṣasas endowed with illusion, those greatly terrifying and implacable foes?"

1.181.39 "Has even the prediction of the great-souled Vyāsa turned out contrary?" — thus Pṛthā meditated, filled with maternal love for her sons.

1.181.40 Then in the late afternoon, Jiṣṇu entered there, surrounded by brahmins, like the sun veiled by clouds, with brahmins preceding him.

1.182.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Going to that workshop of the Bhārgava smith, the two Pārthas of great majesty reached Pṛthā and joyfully announced to that daughter of Yajña-sena and those foremost of men: "We have received alms."

1.182.2 She, having entered the hut without looking at her sons, said "Share it equally among you all." But afterwards Kuntī, looking closely at the maiden, said: "Alas, what a thing I have said!"

1.182.3 Afraid of unrighteousness and ashamed, Kuntī took that greatly noble daughter of Yajñasena by the hand, approached Yudhiṣṭhira, and spoke these words:

1.182.4 "This maiden is the daughter of King Drupada, entrusted to me by your younger brothers, O son. Through inadvertence I too spoke the fitting word, O king: 'Share it equally among you all.'"

1.182.5 "How can what I said today not become a falsehood, O bull of the Kurus? Tell me. Yet neither should unrighteousness befall the daughter of the Pāñcāla king — something unprecedented."

1.182.6 King Yudhiṣṭhira of highest valor, the foremost of the Kurus, having pondered for a moment, reassured his mother Kuntī and spoke these words to Dhanañjaya:

1.182.7 "By you, O Pāṇḍava, was Yājñasenī won; by you will this princess be pleased. Let fire be kindled and the oblation poured — take her hand in accordance with the rites."

1.182.8 Arjuna said: "Do not make me, O king of men, a partaker in unrighteousness; this is not the dharma desired by others. You should be wedded first, then this long-armed Bhīma of inconceivable deeds,

1.182.9 then I, then Nakula next to me, then Mādrī's son Sahadeva the youngest. O king, Vṛkodara, I, and the twins — this maiden and all of us are yours to command."

1.182.10 "Given this situation, reflect on what is to be done here that is righteous and honorable, and what would please the Pāñcāla king. Speak — we all stand ready at your command."

1.182.11 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: All of them, seeing the glorious Kṛṣṇā standing there, looked at one another as they sat and held her in their hearts.

1.182.12 For all of them of boundless valor, upon seeing Draupadī, desire arose, churning through all their senses.

1.182.13 For the Pāñcālī's lovely form had been fashioned by the Creator himself, surpassing all other women, captivating the hearts of all beings.

1.182.14 Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī and knower of their outward signs and inner states, fully recalling the words of Dvaipāyana, O bull among men,

1.182.15 that king, fearing discord among them, spoke to his brothers: "The auspicious Draupadī shall be the wife of all of us."

1.183.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: All the sons of Pāṇḍu, having considered those words of their eldest brother, then of boundless energy, held that very matter in their minds and sat there.

1.183.2 But the foremost of the Vṛṣṇis, together with the son of Rohiṇī, being apprehensive about the foremost of the Kurus, went to that workshop of the Bhārgava smith where those foremost of men were sitting.

1.183.3 There Kṛṣṇa together with the son of Rohiṇī saw the long and broad-armed Ajātaśatru seated, with those others surrounding him, seated nearby, blazing like fires.

1.183.4 Then Vāsudeva approached and, pressing the feet of the best among upholders of dharma, said: "I am Kṛṣṇa" — the feet of King Yudhiṣṭhira of the Ajamīḍha lineage.

1.183.5 Likewise the son of Rohiṇī did the same after him; and the Kurus rejoiced and welcomed them. Also the foremost of the Yadus grasped the feet of their father's sister, O chief of the Bhāratas.

1.183.6 And Ajātaśatru, the foremost of the Kurus, after reporting his own welfare, asked Kṛṣṇa: "How, O Vāsudeva, were all of us known to you while we were living here in disguise?"

1.183.7 Vāsudeva replied with a smile: "Even hidden fire is perceived, O king. Who else among men is to be found who could perform that feat which surpasses the Pāṇḍavas?"

1.183.8 "By good fortune all of you Pāṇḍavas, conquerors of enemies, have been freed from that fire. By good fortune the wicked son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra along with his minister has not had his desire fulfilled."

1.183.9 "May what is hidden in the cave be auspicious for you. Grow strong like a fire being kindled. Let no kings here discover you." Having thus been granted leave by the Pāṇḍava, Kṛṣṇa of undying glory swiftly departed together with Baladeva toward the camp.

1.184.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Dhṛṣṭadyumna the Pāñcāla prince followed behind those two delights of the Kurus as they went to the dwelling of the Bhārgava.

1.184.2 He, remaining unrecognized, posted men all around and himself settled at a distance within the Bhārgava's dwelling.

1.184.3 Then in the evening, Bhīma the crusher of enemies, Jiṣṇu, and the twins of great majesty, those of undaunted spirit, having gathered alms, presented them to Yudhiṣṭhira.

1.184.4 Then Kuntī the bountiful spoke in proper time to that daughter of Drupada: "Take of it first, dear girl, set aside an offering, and give alms to the brahmin."

1.184.5 "To those who desire food, give to them — the people who have gathered all around. Then, having divided the remainder swiftly, give half for the four and for myself."

1.184.6 "And give the other half to Bhīma, dear girl — he who resembles a bull in rut, that dark young man of powerful frame; for this hero is always a great eater."

1.184.7 That princess, her face filled with joy, accepting her words without hesitation as right and proper, the virtuous one carried out exactly as instructed; and all of them partook of the food.

1.184.8 Sahadeva, the swift son of Mādrī, made his bed upon the ground with kusha grass; and all the heroes, spreading their own antelope hides, slept upon the earth.

1.184.9 Their heads, those best of the Kurus, faced the direction governed by Agastya; Kuntī lay before them and Kṛṣṇā lay crosswise at their feet.

1.184.10 She lay upon the ground alongside the sons of Pāṇḍu, made as if a footrest on the kusha; yet she felt no sorrow there, nor did those bulls among the Kurus disrespect her.

1.184.11 Those heroes there began to converse, telling varied tales befitting warriors in command of armies — divine weapons, chariots and war-elephants, swords, maces, and battle-axes.

1.184.12 As those tales were being recounted, the son of the Pāñcāla king heard them, and also saw Kṛṣṇā seated there; and all the people saw them too.

1.184.13 Prince Dhṛṣṭadyumna, having heard everything that had transpired and all that was said that night, went in haste to report it all in full to King Drupada.

1.184.14 The king of Pāñcāla, his face cast down and unable to identify those Pāṇḍavas, questioned Dhṛṣṭadyumna, that great-souled one: "Where has Kṛṣṇā gone, and by whom was she taken?"

1.184.15 "Has she not been taken by a Śūdra, or a man of low birth, or a Vaiśya tributary? Has my head not been pressed underfoot? Has the garland not fallen in the cremation ground?"

1.184.16 "Is the man foremost of his own caste, or perhaps of a higher varna? Or has a left foot today been placed upon my head, my son, by the one who has touched Kṛṣṇā?"

1.184.17 "Shall I worship with supreme confidence, having secured the bull among men, the Pārtha? Tell me truly, O great-spirited one — who is he who has won my daughter today?"

1.184.18 "Do the sons of Vicitravīrya, those heroes among the Kurus, yet survive? And was the bow taken up and the target struck down today by the younger Pārtha?"

1.185.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus questioned, his face filled with joy, the prince Dhṛṣṭadyumna, foremost of the Somakas, reported to his father what had happened and by whom Kṛṣṇā had been taken.

1.185.2 "That young man with large reddish eyes, wearing a black antelope skin, equal in beauty to a god — it was he who strung the foremost bow and brought the target crashing to the earth."

1.185.3 "Unimpeded, he went swiftly, surrounded and honored by the foremost twice-born, moving among the sons of Diti like Indra with his thunderbolt, honored by all the gods and sages."

1.185.4 "And Kṛṣṇā, taking hold of the antelope hide, followed him with joy, as an elephant cow follows her mate, even as the kings of men, refusing to accept it, charged furiously at him there."

1.185.5 "Then another, uprooting a great tree from the earth in the midst of those royal lords, drove back the flood of kings like Death himself, enraged, driving back the living."

1.185.6 "Those two foremost of men, O lord of kings, took Kṛṣṇā away before the very eyes of all the kings, shining like the sun and moon, to the workshop of Bharadvāja's son outside the city."

1.185.7 "Seated there, blazing like a flame of fire, is, I conjecture, their mother; and seated near her are three other foremost of men, equal in splendor to fire."

1.185.8 "Those two then bowed at her feet, said to Kṛṣṇā 'pay your respects,' and having presented Kṛṣṇā there, those foremost of men went out to beg alms."

1.185.9 "Kṛṣṇā received their alms, made the customary offering, gave a portion to the brahmins, served that elder woman and those foremost of men, and herself ate as well."

1.185.10 "All of them, O king, then slept, while Kṛṣṇā became a footrest at their feet; their bed was upon the earth, furnished with a spread of the finest darbha grass and antelope hides."

1.185.11 "They roared like dark monsoon clouds as they told their varied tales; those heroes spoke no tales fit for a Vaiśya or a Śūdra, nor indeed of twice-born men."

1.185.12 "They are without doubt bulls among Kṣatriyas, O king, for they speak of battle as warriors do; indeed our hope is now clearly fulfilled, for we hear the Pārthas have escaped the fire."

1.185.13 "As the target was struck down and the bow forcefully strung by him, and as they speak among themselves — undoubtedly those Pārthas move about in disguise."

1.185.14 Then King Drupada, filled with joy, dispatched his priest there, with the words: "We would know who you are — are you the great-souled sons of Pāṇḍu?"

1.185.15 The king's priest, having received his instructions, went and greeted them with praise, then delivered the king's message completely and in proper order, he who knew the right procedure.

1.185.16 "The lord of the earth, King Drupada of Pāñcāla, desires to know who you are, O worthy ones; having seen this striker of the target, he finds no limit to his joy."

1.185.17 "Therefore declare your lineage and family in order; set your foot upon the heads of your enemies; and gladden my heart and that of King Drupada with his retinue."

1.185.18 "For King Pāṇḍu was the beloved friend of King Drupada, equal to himself; and it was his desire that this daughter of mine might become a daughter-in-law of the Kaurava."

1.185.19 "And this desire has ever dwelt in the heart of King Drupada, O you of blameless limbs — that Arjuna, with his broad and long arms, might win my daughter by righteous means."

1.185.20 The king, hearing the priest speak thus and seeing him standing there humbly, commanded Bhīma who stood nearby: "Let water for washing the feet and the gift of honor be given to him."

1.185.21 "The priest of King Drupada is worthy of honor; for him an especially great worship must be offered." Bhīma did exactly so, O lord of men; and having received that honor,

1.185.22 when that priest was seated comfortably, Yudhiṣṭhira addressed him as a brahmin: "The daughter has been given away by King Drupada of Pāñcāla in accordance with his own dharma, as he pleased."

1.185.23 "The bride-price was fixed by King Drupada; by this hero it was fulfilled accordingly; no distinction was made regarding varna, occupation, family lineage, or clan."

1.185.24 "By the stringing of the bow and the striking of the target was she awarded; and thus by this great-souled one was Kṛṣṇā here won in the midst of the assembly of kings."

1.185.25 "Things being thus, the son of Somaka, the king, should not today grieve to his displeasure; and that desire which King Drupada harbored — that too shall be fulfilled for the lord of the earth."

1.185.26 "For I deem it right, O brahmin, that this princess is one hard to obtain; that bow could not be strung with its bowstring by one of feeble strength — nor could such a target be struck down by one untrained in weaponry or of low birth."

1.185.27 "Therefore King Pāñcāla does not deserve to grieve today on account of his daughter; nor indeed could that feat of striking the target otherwise have been accomplished by any mortal on earth."

1.185.28 Even as Yudhiṣṭhira was speaking thus, another man arrived quickly from the vicinity of the Pāñcāla king to announce that the meal was ready.

1.186.1 The messenger said: "Food has been prepared by King Drupada for the occasion of the wedding; come, receive it now that all arrangements are complete; and Kṛṣṇā should not delay there any longer."

1.186.2 "These chariots, adorned with golden lotuses and yoked with good horses, fit for lords of the earth — mount them all and proceed to the palace of King Pāñcāla."

1.186.3 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then those bulls among the Kurus set out, sending the priest ahead first, mounting those great vehicles; and Kuntī and Kṛṣṇā went along together.

1.186.4 Hearing the words which Dharmarāja had spoken, O Bhārata, and wishing to learn more about those foremost Kurus, Drupada gathered together many kinds of goods.

1.186.5 Fruits and garlands finely prepared, hides and armor and seats, cattle, O king, and also ropes and other implements for agriculture —

1.186.6 and whatever there might be in the various crafts, all of it completely arranged and ready, and also those things intended for sport — all of this the king assembled there.

1.186.7 Gleaming chariots, horses and armor, great swords and splendid horse-drawn vehicles, foremost bows and principal arrows, lances and javelins adorned with gold —

1.186.8 javelins, bhuśuṇḍi weapons and battle-axes, and likewise all manner of war equipment; beds and seats of the finest quality — all these too were arranged variously there.

1.186.9 Kuntī, taking the virtuous Kṛṣṇā with her, entered the inner apartments of Drupada; and the women, of noble spirit, received and honored that wife of the Kaurava king.

1.186.10 Beholding those foremost of men — with the gait of lion's valor, with the eyes of great bulls, wearing antelope hides as upper garments, with shoulders hidden, with arms as long and thick as the bodies of great serpents —

1.186.11 the king and all the king's ministers, the king's sons and friends likewise, and all the servants without exception, O king, were filled with the greatest joy there.

1.186.12 Those heroes, those foremost of men, without any hesitation and without showing wonder, took their seats in order of seniority upon the excellent thrones with their footstools, as was their due.

1.186.13 Male and female servants in fine attire, and cooks too, brought food fit for kings — varied and of high and low rank — served in vessels of gold and silver.

1.186.14 Those foremost of men ate there as they wished and were greatly satisfied; then, passing over all the goods arranged there, those heroic men chose the weapons of war.

1.186.15 Noticing this, Drupada's son and the king, together with all his chief ministers, came forward joyfully and honored the sons of Kuntī as princes and heirs of kings.

1.187.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the Pāñcāla king, of great splendor, summoned prince Yudhiṣṭhira and drew him close with a brahminical embrace.

1.187.2 He of undepressed spirit questioned the radiant son of Kuntī: "How are we to know of you — are you Kṣatriyas, or Brahmins,

1.187.3 "or Vaiśyas endowed with virtues, or those born of Śūdra stock, or perfected beings ranging in all directions, having taken up a form of illusion?"

1.187.4 "Come from the heavens to behold us, having arrived here for the sake of Kṛṣṇā — tell us the truth; our doubt in this matter is great."

1.187.5 "If at the end of our uncertainty a satisfaction might enter the mind here, and if our good fortune might prove auspicious — O scorcher of enemies."

1.187.6 "Tell the truth willingly; truth is becoming in kings; likewise by religious sacrifice and meritorious deeds — and falsehood must not be spoken."

1.187.7 "For having heard your words, O one equal to the immortals, O subduer of foes, I shall certainly proceed to the conducting of the marriage according to the prescribed rites."

1.187.8 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Do not be downcast, O king of Pāñcāla; let there be joy for you — your desired wish is certainly fulfilled, without doubt."

1.187.9 "We are indeed Kṣatriyas, O king, sons of the great-souled Pāṇḍu; know me as the eldest, Kunteyaka; these are Bhīmasena and Arjuna, by whom, O king, your daughter was won in the royal assembly."

1.187.10 "And the twins are there where Kṛṣṇā has taken her place; let the grief depart from your mind — we are Kṣatriyas, O bull among men; your daughter has gone from one lake to another, like a lotus."

1.187.11 "Thus truthfully, O great king, I tell you all of this; you are indeed our highest elder and supreme refuge."

1.187.12 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then King Drupada, his eyes stirred with joy, was unable at that moment to make a fitting reply to Yudhiṣṭhira.

1.187.13 But with effort suppressing that joy, the scorcher of foes, the king, then replied fittingly to Yudhiṣṭhira.

1.187.14 The righteous-souled king asked him how they had fled before; and the Pāṇḍava told him everything in full sequence.

1.187.15 Hearing the words of the son of Kuntī, King Drupada then censured Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lord of the people.

1.187.16 And Drupada, foremost of speakers, reassured the son of Kuntī, Yudhiṣṭhira, and pledged his support for their restoration to the kingdom.

1.187.17 Then Kuntī and Kṛṣṇā, Bhīmasena and Arjuna, and the twins, as directed by the king, entered the great palace.

1.187.18 There they resided, O king, honored by Yajñasena; and then the king, together with his sons, spoke to them when they were at ease.

1.187.19 "Let the joy of the Kurus take her hand today itself according to the prescribed rite; on an auspicious day let the mighty-armed Arjuna choose the moment."

1.187.20 Then king Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, said to him: "A marriage alliance must first be made for me as well, O lord of the people."

1.187.21 Drupada said: "Either you yourself take my daughter's hand according to the prescribed rite, or, O hero, assign Kṛṣṇā to whomever you think fit."

1.187.22 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Draupadī shall be the queen of all of us, O king; for thus it was spoken before by my mother, O lord of the people."

1.187.23 "And I have not yet married, nor has Bhīmasena the Pāṇḍava; she was won by Pārtha, and your daughter is a jewel among women."

1.187.24 "This is our compact, O king — to share a jewel in common; and we do not wish to abandon that compact, O best of kings."

1.187.25 "By dharma, Kṛṣṇā shall be the queen of all of us; in order of seniority let each of us take her hand by the sacred fire."

1.187.26 Drupada said: "Many queens are ordained for one man, O joy of the Kurus; but never is one woman ordained for many men at any time."

1.187.27 You, O son of Kuntī, who are righteous and pure, ought not to commit an act contrary to worldly usage and the Vedas. Why do you have such a mind?

1.187.28 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Dharma is subtle, O great king; we do not know its course. We follow the path trodden in succession by the ancients.

1.187.29 My speech does not speak untruth, nor does my mind dwell on adharma. Mother speaks thus, and it accords with my own heart's resolve.

1.187.30 This is a fixed dharma, O king — follow it without hesitation. Let there be no doubt in your mind about this in any way, O lord of the earth.

1.187.31 Drupada said: You, O son of Kuntī, and Kuntī, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna my son — let all discuss what is to be done. We shall act at the proper time tomorrow.

1.187.32 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then all of them came together and were conversing, O Bhārata, when Dvaipāyana arrived there by chance, O king.

1.188.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then all the Pāṇḍavas and the greatly renowned son of Pāñcāla, rising to receive him, worshipped that great-souled Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana upon seeing him.

1.188.2 Having welcomed them all and enquired after their welfare in full, that great-minded one took his seat on a bright golden throne.

1.188.3 Then, permitted by Kṛṣṇa of immeasurable splendour, all those foremost among men seated themselves on their respective splendid seats.

1.188.4 Then, after a moment, the lord of the Pāñcālas — the son of Pṛṣata — addressed that great soul in sweet words and asked him about the matter of Draupadī.

1.188.5 How can one woman be the wife of many, and how would there be no confusion of dharma? Let the revered one explain all this to us as it truly is.

1.188.6 Vyāsa said: In this matter of dharma that is disputed and opposed to worldly usage and the Vedas, I wish to hear whatever opinion each one holds.

1.188.7 Drupada said: In my view this is adharma, contrary to both worldly usage and the Vedas; for one wife for many men is not known to exist, O best of the twice-born.

1.188.8 Nor has this dharma been practised by the great-souled ones of the past. And an eternal dharma shared among many is not to be followed.

1.188.9 Therefore I shall not carry out such a resolution in action; for this seems to me shrouded in doubt and uncertainty regarding dharma.

1.188.10 Dhṛṣṭadyumna said: How, O bull among the twice-born, O brahmin, could an elder brother, being of good conduct and a storehouse of austerity, approach the wife of a younger brother?

1.188.11 Yet because of the subtlety of dharma we cannot in any way know its course. Nor can a determination be made as to what is adharma and what is dharma.

1.188.12 This cannot be resolved by persons like us, O brahmin. Therefore I am in no way able to determine that Kṛṣṇā should be the chief queen of five men.

1.188.13 Yudhiṣṭhira said: My speech does not speak untruth; my mind does not dwell on adharma. My heart inclines in this direction — this is in no way adharma.

1.188.14 For even in ancient legend it is heard that Jaṭilā, the daughter of Gautama, dwelt with seven seers who were upholders of dharma, O best among the righteous.

1.188.15 They say that the word of one's teacher is dharma, O best among those who know dharma; and among all teachers the mother is the supreme teacher.

1.188.16 And she too spoke the words 'Let it be enjoyed like alms.' Therefore I consider this to be dharma, O foremost among the twice-born.

1.188.17 Kuntī said: It is exactly as Yudhiṣṭhira, that follower of dharma, has said. My fear of untruth is intense — how could I be freed from untruth?

1.188.18 Vyāsa said: You will be freed from untruth, O blessed one, and this is indeed the eternal dharma. But I shall not speak of it before all; O Pāñcāla, hear from me yourself.

1.188.19 As this dharma has been ordained, and as it is eternal, and as the son of Kuntī has declared it — so it is dharma, without any doubt.

1.188.20 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the revered lord Vyāsa Dvaipāyana rose, and taking the king by the hand, entered the royal palace.

1.188.21 And the Pāṇḍavas, Kuntī, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata remained there with bewildered minds, awaiting those two.

1.188.22 Then Dvaipāyana related to that great-souled lord of men how one wife for many is indeed dharma.

1.189.1 Vyāsa said: Long ago the gods performed a sacrifice in the Naimiṣa forest, O king. There Vaivasvata Yama then acted as the slaughterer.

1.189.2 Then Yama, consecrated in that sacrifice, O king, did not cause the death of any living being. Thereupon the creatures multiplied greatly, freed from death through the passage of time.

1.189.3 Then Indra, Varuṇa, Kubera, the Sādhyas, the Rudras, the Vasus, and the Aśvins, together with other gods, came to Prajāpati, the guide of the worlds.

1.189.4 Then, assembled together, they addressed the teacher of the worlds: 'We have intense fear from the multiplication of humans. Trembling from that fear, all of us who seek happiness come to you as our refuge.'

1.189.5 Brahmā said: What fear have you of mortals, you who are all immortals? Let there never be any fear for you from the presence of mortal beings.

1.189.6 The gods said: The mortals have become as immortals — there is no distinction whatsoever. Troubled by this lack of distinction, we have come here seeking distinction.

1.189.7 Brahmā said: Vaivasvata is occupied with the sacrifice; that is why these humans do not die. When his single-pointed attention is finished with that task, the time of their end will come.

1.189.8 And the body of Vaivasvata, made mighty and set in motion by your collective power — that shall be their end at the time of their ending; for that body shall become the force of death among men.

1.189.9 Vyāsa said: Then the gods, having heard the words of the elder god, went to where the gods were performing the sacrifice. Seated together, those mighty ones saw a lotus on the Bhāgīrathī.

1.189.10 Seeing it, they were filled with wonder. Indra the heroic one went there among them, and he saw a woman of blazing splendour where the Gaṅgā ever flows forth.

1.189.11 That woman, weeping and longing for water, plunged into the goddess Gaṅgā and stood there. A teardrop of hers fell into the water, and from it arose that golden lotus.

1.189.12 Seeing that wonder, the wielder of the thunderbolt then approached near and asked that woman: 'Who are you? Why do you weep and for what reason? I desire you to speak the truth here.'

1.189.13 The woman said: You will come to know who I am here, O Śakra, and the reason why I, the ill-fortuned one, weep. Come, O king, I will go before you — you shall see that for the sake of which I weep.

1.189.14 Vyāsa said: He followed her as she went, and then from a distance he saw a handsome young man seated on a lion-throne with a young woman as his companion, playing at dice on the summit of the king of mountains.

1.189.15 The king of gods addressed him angrily: 'Know that this entire world is under my power — I am the lord.' So he spoke with indignation, seeing him wholly absorbed in dice.

1.189.16 But the god, looking steadily at the wrathful Śakra, laughed, and gazed at Śakra calmly. Then the king of gods became paralysed, looked upon by him, and stood stiff as a post.

1.189.17 When at last his play here was completed, he addressed that weeping goddess: 'Let this one be brought from where I came — so that arrogance may not enter him again.'

1.189.18 Then Śakra, merely touched by her, fell to the ground with limbs gone limp. The revered one of fierce splendour addressed him: 'Do not act thus again, O Śakra, in any way.'

1.189.19 Roll open this great mountain king, and behold your own immeasurable strength and might. Having opened it, enter its interior, where others like you, blazing like the sun, are seated.

1.189.20 He opened that peak of the great mountain and saw four others equal in splendour. Gazing upon them he became grieved: 'Shall I too become like these?'

1.189.21 Then the god Giriśa, opening his eyes, addressed the wielder of the thunderbolt in anger: 'Enter this cave, O Śatakratu — because in your childishness you disrespected me before.'

1.189.22 Thus addressed by the mighty one, the king of gods trembled violently with anguish, his limbs gone limp, like an aśvattha leaf driven by the wind on the summit of the mountain king.

1.189.23 He, with folded hands and bowed face, trembling, suddenly so addressed, spoke to the many-formed and terrible one: 'You, O revered one, will today be the witness of the remainder.'

1.189.24 The wielder of the fierce bow laughed and said to him: 'Those of such character do not attain a remainder here. These too shall be thus hereafter. Therefore enter this cave and remain.'

1.189.25 The remainder of your time will also be thus — there is no doubt. All of you shall enter a human womb. There, having performed irresistible deeds and having brought many others to destruction—

1.189.26 —you shall return again to Indra's realm, that great and worthy abode won previously by your own deeds. All this has been spoken by me as it is. Other things of various purposes are also to be done.

1.189.27 The former Indras said: We shall go from the world of gods to the human world where the ordained liberation is hard to attain. But let the gods place us in a mother's womb — Dharma, Vāyu, Maghavan, and the Aśvins.

1.189.28 Vyāsa said: Hearing these words, the wielder of the thunderbolt addressed the best of gods again: 'I will give, through my power and for the purpose of this task, a fifth man to them, born from myself.'

1.189.29 The revered wielder of the fierce bow granted their desire, giving what was sought through divine release as spoken. And that woman beloved of the world, Śrī herself, he ordained as their wife among men.

1.189.30 Then that god went together with those very ones to the immeasurable Nārāyaṇa. He too ordained all of it. Thereupon all of them were born upon the earth.

1.189.31 And Hari plucked two hairs from himself — one white and one black. Those two hairs entered two women of the Yadu clan, Rohiṇī and Devakī. From them, one became Baladeva, and the second became Kṛṣṇa Keśava.

1.189.32 Those who previously, bearing Indra's form, were confined in that cave of the northern mountain — they are here the mighty Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍava Savyasācī is a portion of Indra.

1.189.33 Thus these Pāṇḍavas were born, O king — those who were formerly Indras. And Lakṣmī herself was earlier ordained for them; this Draupadī of divine form is their wife.

1.189.34 For how else could a woman arise from the earth at the end of a ritual act other than through divine dispensation — she whose beauty shines like the moon and sun, and whose supreme fragrance wafts a league away?

1.189.35 And this other boon I give you gladly, O lord of men — a most wonderful one: divine sight. See the sons of Kuntī endowed with their blessed and divine former bodies.

1.189.36 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Vyāsa, that brahmin of supremely noble deeds, pure through his austerity, bestowed divine sight on the king. The king saw all of them as they truly were in their former bodies.

1.189.37 Then he saw them divine, wearing golden crowns and garlands, resembling Indra, of the colour of fire and sun, wearing bound diadems, handsome and youthful, broad-chested, of the height of a palm tree.

1.189.38 Adorned most brilliantly with divine spotless golden garments and finest garlands, they were like the Three-eyed one himself, or the divine Vasus, or the Ādityas possessed of every virtue. Seeing those former Indras so handsome, king Drupada was delighted and full of wonder.

1.189.39 And having attained that immeasurable divine māyā, the lord of earth saw her too — that foremost one, like Śrī incarnate, worthy of them by her beauty, splendour, and fame — their glorious wife.

1.189.40 Having seen that great and wondrous form, he clasped the feet of the son of Satyavatī. With serene mind he addressed him: 'This is no marvel for you, O supreme seer.'

1.189.41 Vyāsa said: In a hermitage forest there was once a daughter of a great-souled seer. That maiden, though beautiful and virtuous, could not find a husband.

1.189.42 She propitiated Śaṃkara with fierce austerity. The Lord, well pleased, personally told her: 'Choose your boon.'

1.189.43 Thus addressed, the maiden said to the god, the granter of boons, the Lord: 'I desire a husband endowed with every virtue' — saying this again and again.

1.189.44 The lord of gods, Śaṃkara, joyfully granted her that boon then: 'Five noble husbands shall be yours.'

1.189.45 She, still entreating the god, spoke again: 'I deserve one husband endowed with virtue from you.' Then the god of gods, with joyful heart, spoke again an auspicious word to her.

1.189.46 'Five times you have said to me: give me a husband — again. So shall it be, O fortunate one; may good come to you. When you have gone to another body, what was spoken shall come to pass for you.'

1.189.47 She is this very one who was born as Drupada's daughter, of divine form. The blameless Kṛṣṇā, daughter of Pṛṣata, has been ordained as wife to five.

1.189.48 The glory of heaven, born in a great sacrifice for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas — having here performed fierce austerity, she has come to be your daughter.

1.189.49 This resplendent goddess, beloved of the gods, is one wife for five by her own past deed — she herself created as wife of the gods by the Self-born. Having heard, O king, do what Drupada desires.

1.190.1 Drupada said: Without having heard such words from you, O great seer, I had earlier striven in this matter. Indeed what has been ordained cannot be averted — the very same ordinance has come to pass.

1.190.2 The knot of destiny is not to be undone; nothing here is ordained by one's own action alone. Indeed what was brought about as the cause for the one boon — that very thing has now come to pass for many.

1.190.3 Just as Kṛṣṇā previously said 'Let the revered one grant me not many husbands,' and he too replied to her with the boon thus — the god indeed knows what is supreme in this matter.

1.190.4 If this has been ordained by Śaṅkara, whether it be dharma or adharma, the fault is not mine. Let these men take her hand in the prescribed manner; for Kṛṣṇā has indeed been destined for them as they desire.

1.190.5 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the blessed one spoke to Dharmarāja: 'Today is an auspicious day, O Pandaveya. Today the moon enters the Puṣya constellation. You must be the first today to take Kṛṣṇā's hand.'

1.190.6 Then King Yajñasena with his son brought together the many excellent items required for the wedding ritual, and also his daughter Kṛṣṇā, having bathed her and adorned her with numerous jewels.

1.190.7 Then all his friends, ministers, and counselors assembled there, full of great delight, to witness the wedding, along with twice-born priests and townspeople according to their rank.

1.190.8 That palace of his, made beautiful by the assembled guests, with its courtyard adorned with scattered lotuses and blue water-lilies and decorated with heaps of priceless gems, shone like the sky studded with bright stars.

1.190.9 Then those princes of the Kuru royal line, adorned with earrings, youthful, wearing magnificent garments, anointed with fine sandalwood paste, having performed the ceremonial bath and the auspicious rites—

1.190.10 —together with the family priest Dhaumya, resplendent as fire, and in accordance with the prescribed rites, O lord, all of them entered that assembly hall in order, rejoicing like great bulls entering a cow-pen.

1.190.11 Then that master of the Vedas, having kindled the fire, offered oblations into the blazing flame with sacred mantras; and the knower of mantras, having led Yudhiṣṭhira forward, joined him together with Kṛṣṇā.

1.190.12 That master of the Vedas caused the two of them, with joined hands, to circumambulate the fire. Then the family priest, having given his blessing to that radiant champion, departed from the king's house.

1.190.13 In this same manner those sons of kings, great warriors who enhanced the glory of the Kuru lineage, each assuming the most handsome form day after day, took the hand of that noble woman.

1.190.14 And the brahmin-sage there declared this supreme marvel, surpassing human understanding: that the great-souled, slender-waisted one became a virgin again with each passing day.

1.190.15 After the wedding was completed, Drupada gave manifold and excellent gifts to the great chariot warriors: a hundred chariots adorned with fine gold ornaments, drawn by four horses each, with golden bridles and garlands.

1.190.16 Also a hundred elephants bearing lotus emblems, resembling mountains with golden peaks; and likewise a hundred maidservants in the prime of youth, wearing costly attire, ornaments, garments, and garlands.

1.190.17 Separately and individually, the son of Sumaka gave, with fire as witness, wealth amounting to ten thousand pieces each, along with garments and jewels of great magnificence and immense value.

1.190.18 After the wedding was completed, the mighty Pāṇḍavas, resembling Indra, having thus obtained that prosperity filled with abundant riches, rejoiced in the city of the Pāñcāla king.

1.191.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: For Drupada, who had now gained alliance with the Pāṇḍavas, there arose no fear whatsoever, not even from the gods.

1.191.2 Those women of the great-souled Drupada approached Kuntī, chanting her name in praise, and touched her feet with their foreheads.

1.191.3 And Kṛṣṇā, clad in linen, having performed the auspicious wedding rituals, having paid her respects to her mother-in-law, stood with bowed head and folded hands.

1.191.4 Pṛthā spoke with love the words of blessing to her daughter-in-law Draupadī, who was endowed with beauty and auspicious marks, and possessed of excellent character and conduct.

1.191.5 'As Indrāṇī is to Indra, as Svāhā is to Agni, as Rohiṇī is to the moon, as Damayantī was to Nala—

1.191.6 —as Bhadra is to Vaiśravaṇa, as Arundhatī is to Vasiṣṭha, as Lakṣmī is to Nārāyaṇa, so may you be to your husbands.

1.191.7 May you be a mother of long-lived sons, a mother of heroes, O auspicious one, endowed with great happiness, fortunate, blessed with enjoyments, a worthy partner in sacrifices, devoted to your husband.

1.191.8 May your years always pass in duly honoring guests who arrive, the virtuous, children, elders, and teachers according to what is right.

1.191.9 In the chief kingdoms and cities, foremost among which is Kurujāṅgala, may you be consecrated as queen alongside a king devoted to dharma.

1.191.10 The earth conquered by valor by your mighty husbands—may you dedicate it entirely to the brahmins at the great Aśvamedha sacrifice.

1.191.11 Whatever gems of quality exist on the earth—O virtuous one, may you obtain them all, and may you live happily for a hundred autumns.'

1.191.12 'As I welcome you today, O daughter-in-law, clad in linen, so shall I again welcome you, a virtuous mother of sons, adorned with excellence.'

1.191.13 Then Hari sent to the sons of Pāṇḍu, now that they had taken their wife, golden ornaments adorned with pearls and vaidurya gems,

1.191.14 and Mādhava sent also the most costly garments from many lands, fine woolen blankets, precious skins, pleasant to the touch and auspicious.

1.191.15 And various large couches, seats, and conveyances, decorated with vaidurya and diamond ornaments, and hundreds of vessels—

1.191.16 —and maidservants endowed with beauty, youth, and skill, well adorned, Kṛṣṇa gave by the thousands, from many different lands.

1.191.17 And trained and auspicious elephants, well-caparisoned fine horses, and tamed chariots decorated with auspicious golden banners—

1.191.18 —and gold by the tens of millions in its raw and refined forms: the immeasurable-souled Madhusūdana sent all of this to them.

1.191.19 All of this King Yudhiṣṭhira received, filled with supreme joy, out of his desire to please Govinda.

1.192.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the news was brought to the kings by their trusted spies: that the auspicious Draupadī had been won by the Pāṇḍavas and united with her husbands.

1.192.2 That great-souled one who, drawing that bow, had hit the target—he was Arjuna, the best among the victorious, the greatest bearer of arrows and bow.

1.192.3 And that mighty one who had lifted Śalya the king of Madra and whirled him about, and who in fury had terrified men in battle with a tree—

1.192.4 —and there had been no confusion whatsoever in that great-souled one: he was Bhīma, terrible to touch, the destroyer of enemy armies.

1.192.5 Hearing that the sons of Pāṇḍu's king, the sons of Kuntī, had been disguised in brahmin form, amazement arose among the lords of men.

1.192.6 For Kuntī along with her sons had formerly been reported burned in the house of lac. 'They have been reborn,' thought all the kings with wonder.

1.192.7 Uttering curses then upon Bhīṣma and Dhṛtarāṣṭra the Kaurava for the most cruel deed done by Purocana—

1.192.8 —after the svayamvara was over, all those kings departed the way they had come, having learned that the Pāṇḍavas had been chosen.

1.192.9 Then King Duryodhana, downcast in spirit, along with his brothers, with Aśvatthāman, with his maternal uncle, with Karṇa, and with Kṛpa—

1.192.10 —having turned back, seeing Arjuna of the white horses chosen by Draupadī, Duḥśāsana, full of shame, spoke to him slowly and haltingly:

1.192.11 'Had he not been disguised as a brahmin, he would not have won Draupadī. For truly, O king, no one recognized Dhanañjaya for who he really was.'

1.192.12 'I believe fate is supreme and human effort is futile. Shame on our prowess, dear friend, seeing how the Pāṇḍavas flourish here.'

1.192.13 Speaking thus and cursing Purocana, they entered Hāstinapura, wretched and dispirited.

1.192.14 Frightened, their resolve gone, having seen the sons of Pṛthā of great power, having seen that they had escaped from the fire and were now allied with Drupada—

1.192.15 —and reflecting on Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Śikhaṇḍī and the other sons of Drupada, all skilled in every kind of warfare—

1.192.16 Then Vidura, hearing that the Pāṇḍavas had been chosen by Draupadī and that the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra had returned ashamed and broken in pride—

1.192.17 —then the delighted Kṣattā, full of wonder, spoke to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O lord of the people: 'By good fortune, the Kurus prosper!'

1.192.18 And the son of Vicitravīrya, the king, hearing that from Vidura, spoke with supreme delight: 'By good fortune! By good fortune!' — O Bhārata.

1.192.19 For the king whose eyes are wisdom, through ignorance believes it is his eldest son Duryodhana who has been chosen by the daughter of Drupada.

1.192.20 Then he commanded his son Duryodhana: 'Let the many ornaments of Draupadī be brought here — bring Kṛṣṇā!'

1.192.21 But then afterward Vidura explained to him that the Pāṇḍavas had been chosen, that all the heroes were well and had been honored by Drupada, and also that they had many other powerful relatives.

1.192.22 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: 'Just as Pāṇḍu's sons are mine as well, so too this is greater cause for delight; this growth is greater in my view, O Vidura — that those heroic Pāṇḍavas are well and have gained allies.'

1.192.23 'For who, O Kṣattā, having gained Drupada as an ally together with his kinsmen, would not prosper? Even a king who had lost his fortune and was in need would flourish.'

1.192.24 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Vidura replied to him who spoke thus: 'May this wisdom of yours remain firm, O king, for a hundred years.'

1.192.25 Then Duryodhana and the son of Rādhā, O lord of the people, approached Dhṛtarāṣṭra and spoke these words to him at that time:

1.192.26 'In Vidura's presence, O king, we are unable to speak to you. We wish to speak to you in private. What is your intention in this matter?'

1.192.27 'O dear father, best among men, you consider the growth of your enemies to be your own growth, and you praise it in Kṣattā's presence.

1.192.28 'When one course of action is called for, O blameless king, you do another. The undermining of their strength is what must always be done, dear father.

1.192.29 'We should deliberate upon and plan a timely course of action so that they may not devour us along with our sons, armies, and kinsmen.'

1.193.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: 'I too think about this in the very same way as you two. But I do not wish to betray my intentions in my manner before Vidura.

1.193.2 'That is why I praise their virtues specifically — so that Vidura would not understand my true intentions from my gestures and signs.

1.193.3 'What you consider the right course of action — speak it, O Suyodhana. And you too, O son of Rādhā, tell me what you consider the right course of action.'

1.193.4 Duryodhana said: 'Today let us sow division among the sons of Kuntī and the two sons of Mādrī, the Pāṇḍavas, through skilled brahmins — trustworthy men who carry out their tasks well.

1.193.5 'Or else King Drupada along with great hoards of wealth — and his sons and all his ministers — should be tempted and won over.

1.193.6 'Let them be persuaded to abandon King Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Kuntī, or alternatively, let those men encourage the Pāṇḍavas to remain there itself.

1.193.7 'Let them describe, each separately, the faults and disadvantages of living here, so that the Pāṇḍavas, being divided, may set their minds on remaining there only.

1.193.8 'Or else let some skillful men, expert in the use of gifts, sow discord among the sons of Pṛthā from one to another by exploiting their mutual affections.

1.193.9 'Or let them turn Kṛṣṇā against them — that is easy given the plurality of husbands. Or alternatively let them create dissension between the Pāṇḍavas regarding her, and through her, divide them.

1.193.10 'Or, O king, let the death of Bhīmasena be arranged through men skilled in stratagems, working in secret — for he is the greatest in strength among them.

1.193.11 'For when he has been slain, O king, their enthusiasm will be crushed, their energy broken — they will no longer strive for the kingdom. He is indeed their chief support.

1.193.12 'For Arjuna is invincible in battle when Vṛkodara is guarding his back. Without Phalguna, in battle Rādheya does not even reach his feet.

1.193.13 'Knowing their great weakness without Bhīmasena, and knowing us to be the stronger party, they who are weaker will not prevail against us.

1.193.14 'When the sons of Pṛthā have come here and are subject to our authority, O king, we shall proceed as we see fit to crush them.

1.193.15 'Or alternatively let each son of Kuntī there be seduced by beautiful women, and then let Kṛṣṇā become disillusioned with them.

1.193.16 'Or let the son of Rādhā be sent to bring them here; and then, once they have been lured in with bribes, let them be slain by trusted agents.

1.193.17 'Of all these strategies, whichever you consider to be free of fault — proceed to employ it. The time is passing; do not delay.'

1.193.18 As long as Draupadī has not yet placed her full trust in Drupada, the bull among kings, for so long only are they now capable of being overpowered — not beyond that point.

1.193.19 This is my counsel, dear friend, aimed at their suppression — whether it be right or wrong. But what do you think, O son of Rādhā?

1.194.1 Karṇa said: Duryodhana, in my opinion your reasoning is not sound. The Pāṇḍavas cannot be subdued by stratagem, O joy of the Kuru line.

1.194.2 Indeed, you tried previously to overpower them with subtle stratagems, O hero, yet even then you were not able to restrain them.

1.194.3 Even when they were right here, near you, O king, still children without fully-grown wings, you were simply unable to harm them.

1.194.4 Now they are fully fledged, dwelling abroad, grown powerful in every way — the sons of Kuntī cannot be overcome by stratagem; this is my settled conviction, O Acyuta.

1.194.5 Nor can they be ensnared in misfortune, for fate itself protects them; they are ever vigilant and they are earnestly seeking the throne of their fathers and forefathers.

1.194.6 Nor can dissension be sown among them, for those who are devoted to a single wife do not split against one another.

1.194.7 Nor indeed can Kṛṣṇā be separated from them by enemies — she chose them when they were reduced to destitution, so how much less now when they are resplendent with glory.

1.194.8 The quality most desired by a lone woman — to have many husbands — Kṛṣṇā has obtained; she is therefore not easily divided from them.

1.194.9 And the king of Pāñcāla is of noble conduct; he is no lover of mere wealth. He will certainly not abandon the sons of Kuntī even for the gift of a kingdom.

1.194.10 Likewise his son is virtuous and deeply attached to the Pāṇḍavas. Therefore I hold that they cannot by any means be overcome by stratagem.

1.194.11 But this is what is now fitting for us to do, O bull among men, O lord of the earth: while the sons of Pāṇḍu have not yet struck deep roots, for so long they are to be struck — let your valour be exercised.

1.194.12 As long as our side is great and the Pāñcāla force is weak, for so long let their destruction be carried out — do not hesitate.

1.194.13 As long as they have not yet gathered abundant mounts and numerous allies, O son of Gāndhārī, act swiftly and strike now.

1.194.14 As long as the king of Pāñcāla, together with his sons of great valour, has not yet set his mind to exertion, strike swiftly now.

1.194.15 As long as Vārṣṇeya — Kṛṣṇa — has not yet arrived, drawing the Yādava host in support of the sons of Pāṇḍu's claim to the kingdom, strike swiftly now.

1.194.16 Wealth, varied pleasures, and the kingdom itself — there is nothing that Kṛṣṇa would not abandon for the Pāṇḍavas' sake, O lord of the earth.

1.194.17 By valour did the great-souled Bharata win this earth; by valour did Pākaśāsana — Indra — conquer all three worlds.

1.194.18 Valour is celebrated as a kṣatriya's virtue, O lord of the earth; for valour is the inherent duty of heroes, O bull among kings.

1.194.19 With our great four-limbed army, O king, let us quickly overpower Drupada and bring the Pāṇḍavas here.

1.194.20 For the Pāṇḍavas cannot be brought to submission by conciliation, nor by gifts, nor by sowing dissension; therefore vanquish them by valour alone.

1.194.21 Having conquered them by valour, enjoy this whole earth; I see no other means of accomplishing this end, O lord of men.

1.194.22 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having heard the speech of the son of Rādhā, the illustrious Dhṛtarāṣṭra, after honouring it, spoke these words in reply.

1.194.23 Such a speech, filled with valour, is fitting for you, O greatly wise son of the charioteer, who is accomplished in weaponry.

1.194.24 But let Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Vidura, as well as the two of you, together form a counsel such as will bring happiness to us.

1.194.25 Then, having summoned all those counsellors, the greatly illustrious Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O great king, deliberated with them.

1.195.1 Bhīṣma said: A conflict with the sons of Pāṇḍu does not please me in any way. Just as Dhṛtarāṣṭra is to me, so without doubt is Pāṇḍu.

1.195.2 Just as the sons of Gāndhārī, so too the sons of Kuntī are regarded by me; and as they are to be protected by me, O Dhṛtarāṣṭra, so likewise by you.

1.195.3 Just as they are to me and to the king, so too to Duryodhana, and so to all the Kurus and to others as well, O descendant of Bharata.

1.195.4 This being so, I do not favour conflict with them. Let peace be made with those heroes and the land be given to them today; this kingdom too belongs to their great-grandfathers and to their father among the foremost of Kurus.

1.195.5 Duryodhana, just as you, my dear, regard this kingdom as your patrimony, so likewise do the Pāṇḍavas regard it.

1.195.6 If the suffering Pāṇḍavas have not received a kingdom, then whence would even you have a claim to it — or the lineage of Bharata, or anyone else?

1.195.7 But if you have obtained the kingdom by right, O bull of the Bhārata line, then they too had obtained the kingdom previously — this is my conviction.

1.195.8 Therefore, in friendliness alone, let half the kingdom be given to them; this is indeed for the good of all people, O tiger among men.

1.195.9 If it is done otherwise, it will not be for our good; and for you too, complete disgrace will certainly ensue — there is no doubt.

1.195.10 Hold fast to the protection of your reputation, for reputation is the highest strength; the life of a man who has lost his reputation is held to be fruitless.

1.195.11 As long as a man's reputation does not perish, O Kaurava, for so long he lives, O son of Gāndhārī; but one whose reputation is lost is truly dead.

1.195.12 Embrace this duty befitting the Kuru family, O mighty-armed one; act in accordance with your ancestors and with your own nature.

1.195.13 By good fortune those heroes survive; by good fortune that Pṛthā lives; by good fortune that wicked Purocana, whose intent was their destruction, has met his end.

1.195.14 Ever since that time, O son of Gāndhārī, I have been unable to look any living being in the face in this world, having heard that Kuntī was brought to such a condition.

1.195.15 Nor does the world attribute that guilt to Purocana as it attributes guilt to you, O tiger among men.

1.195.16 Therefore this — their survival — and the sight of the Pāṇḍavas must be pondered as the means of washing away your sin, O great king.

1.195.17 Nor indeed can the paternal share of those living heroes be taken away, O joy of the Kurus — not even by the wielder of the thunderbolt himself.

1.195.18 For they all stand firm in righteousness, all are of one mind, and they were driven out unjustly from a kingdom that was equally theirs.

1.195.19 If you are to act according to dharma, if you wish to do what is dear to me, and if well-being is to be sought, then let half be given to them.

1.196.1 Droṇa said: I have heard, O king, that those summoned to counsel who are well-wishers of Dhṛtarāṣṭra should speak what is righteous, wholesome, and conducive to glory.

1.196.2 My counsel too, dear friend, is the same as that of the great-souled Bhīṣma: the sons of Kuntī must be given their share — this is the eternal law.

1.196.3 Let some pleasant-spoken man be sent at once to Drupada, bearing abundant jewels for their benefit, O descendant of Bharata.

1.196.4 And let him go bearing much in the way of mutual gifts, and let him speak of the supreme advantage that would arise from that alliance.

1.196.5 Let him speak of you as greatly pleased, O king, and likewise of Duryodhana — repeatedly, to Drupada and to Dhṛṣṭadyumna as well, O descendant of Bharata.

1.196.6 And let him describe the appropriateness and dearness of the union, and again and again let him speak reassuringly to the sons of Kuntī and the sons of Mādrī.

1.196.7 And let him present, on your word, O lord of kings, many bright golden ornaments to Draupadī.

1.196.8 And likewise to all the sons of Drupada, O bull of the Bhārata line, and to all the Pāṇḍavas, and to Kuntī — whatever is fitting for each.

1.196.9 Having thus spoken to Drupada and the Pāṇḍavas with words of conciliation, the envoy should thereafter address them regarding their return.

1.196.10 When the heroes have given their consent, let a fine escort proceed; let Duḥśāsana and Vikarṇa bring the Pāṇḍavas here.

1.196.11 Then they, O foremost of kings, constantly honoured by you and with the assent of the subjects, will abide in their paternal position.

1.196.12 Such conduct, O great king, toward them and your sons alike I consider appropriate — together with Bhīṣma's counsel, O descendant of Bharata.

1.196.13 Karṇa said: These two, bound close by considerations of wealth and honour, second to none in every matter — that they do not deliberate for your benefit, what is more remarkable than this?

1.196.14 One who speaks of welfare but harbours a corrupt inner mind, concealing his true soul — how could such a person act in accordance with the counsel of the righteous?

1.196.15 Friends are not for welfare or the opposite in times of material difficulty; for by the law of fate, both sorrow and joy come to all in their proper course.

1.196.16 Whether wise or unwise, whether young or old, whether attended by allies or alone — a man finds everything, everywhere, in its appointed time.

1.196.17 For it is heard that long ago there was a certain king known as Ambuvīca, a ruler of the Māgadha lords, in Rājagṛha.

1.196.18 He was bereft of all his faculties, that king, living by breathing alone; in all affairs he was wholly dependent on his ministers.

1.196.19 His minister Mahākarṇi became the sole master of power; thinking himself to have gained strength, he grew contemptuous.

1.196.20 That fool then seized for himself the king's women, his gems and wealth — everything — and the sovereignty as well.

1.196.21 And having taken that, greed from gain grew greater in the greedy man; having thus taken everything, he then desired to seize the kingdom itself.

1.196.22 But though he strove, he could not seize that kingdom from the king who, though bereft of all his faculties and living by breathing alone, retained it — so we have heard.

1.196.23 What else could account for that man's lordship but destiny? If the kingdom is destined for you, O lord of the earth, it will be yours.

1.196.24 Before the eyes of all the world it will certainly remain with you. But if destiny has willed otherwise, you will not obtain it even by striving.

1.196.25 Knowing this, discern the good and bad qualities of your ministers; the words of the corrupt and of the uncorrupt alike must be understood.

1.196.26 Droṇa said: We know why you say this, driven by a fault in your own disposition. Corrupted by your enmity toward the Pāṇḍavas, you reveal our fault to us.

1.196.27 But I speak what is supremely beneficial for the growth of the Kuru line, O Karṇa. If you think it is wrong, then speak what you consider supremely beneficial.

1.196.28 If what I declare to be supremely beneficial is done otherwise, the Kurus will perish before long — this is my firm conviction.

1.197.1 Vidura said: O king, you must certainly be counselled by your kinsmen for your own good — but advice does not take hold in those who are unwilling to listen.

1.197.2 That speech which Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, the best of Kurus, has spoken is indeed for your welfare, O king — and yet you do not accept it.

1.197.3 Likewise Droṇa has spoken at length what is supremely beneficial; and Karṇa, the son of Rādhā, holds that too as not being for your good.

1.197.4 And reflecting upon it, O king, I do not see among your true well-wishers anyone who could surpass these two lions among men in wisdom.

1.197.5 For these two are aged in years, in wisdom, and in learning; and they are equally disposed toward you, O lord of kings, and toward the sons of Pāṇḍu.

1.197.6 In righteousness and in truthfulness they are inferior to none, O king, O descendant of Bharata — not to Rāma the son of Daśaratha, not to Gaya — there is no doubt.

1.197.7 They have never before counselled what was harmful, nor is any wrongdoing by them toward you discernible.

1.197.8 How could these two tiger-like men, whose valour rests on truth, fail to counsel your welfare when you have done no wrong toward them, O king?

1.197.9 These two foremost of men are wise in this world, O lord of men; for your sake they will speak nothing crooked — such is my settled conviction, O joy of the Kurus.

1.197.10 Those two who know righteousness will not speak in favour of any party out of self-interest; this they regard as your supreme good, O Bhārata.

1.197.11 O king, just as Duryodhana and the rest are your sons, so too are the sons of Pāṇḍu your sons — of this there is no doubt.

1.197.12 If your counsellors were to advise anything harmful toward them out of foolishness, those advisors do not truly perceive what is good for you.

1.197.13 And if in your heart, O king, there lurks some distinction between them, those who reveal that inner bias will certainly not serve your welfare.

1.197.14 It is for this reason, O king, that those two great-souled and radiant ones have said nothing openly — for that is not yet your settled resolve.

1.197.15 And what those two bulls among men have declared to be unachievable against the Pāṇḍavas — so it truly is, O tiger among men; may good come to you.

1.197.16 For how could the glorious Pāṇḍava Savyasācī, the scorcher of foes, be conquered in battle, O king — not even by Indra himself?

1.197.17 How could the mighty long-armed Bhīmasena, whose strength equals ten thousand elephants, be defeated in battle even by the immortal gods?

1.197.18 And likewise, those two accomplished twins, like sons of Yama himself in battle — how could anyone wishing to live endure them on the battlefield?

1.197.19 He in whom steadfastness, compassion, forbearance, truth, and valour are ever-present — the foremost of the Pāṇḍavas — how could he be defeated in battle?

1.197.20 Rāma champions their cause, Janārdana is their counsellor, and Sātyaki stands on their side — what could be unconquerable in battle for them?

1.197.21 Drupada is their father-in-law, and their brothers-in-law are the Pārṣatas — the heroic sons of Drupada led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna.

1.197.22 Having understood their invincibility above all else, O Bhārata, and recognising their right of inheritance by law, conduct yourself rightly toward them.

1.197.23 This great and indelible disgrace wrought by Purocana — wash yourself of it today, O king, by showing them favour.

1.197.24 Drupada too is a great king, and one who was formerly our enemy; winning him over, O king, is the strengthening of your own side.

1.197.25 The Dāśārhas are powerful and numerous, O lord of the people; where Kṛṣṇa is, there they will be — and where Kṛṣṇa is, there is victory.

1.197.26 When a matter can be accomplished by conciliation alone, O king, who but one cursed by fate would pursue it through conflict instead?

1.197.27 The townspeople and the country folk, having heard that the Pārthas live, yearn keenly to see them — O king, do what pleases them.

1.197.28 Duryodhana, Karṇa, and Śakuni the son of Subala are given to unrighteousness, evil-minded, and childish — do not follow their counsel.

1.197.29 I have said this to you before, O king — by the transgression of Duryodhana this people will perish.

1.198.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: The learned Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu, and the venerable sage Droṇa, and you yourself — all speak to me what is supremely beneficial and true.

1.198.2 Just as those heroic great warriors, the sons of Kuntī, are the sons of Pāṇḍu, so by right are they all my sons — of this there is no doubt.

1.198.3 Just as this kingdom is ordained for my sons, so too is this kingdom ordained for the sons of Pāṇḍu — of this there is no doubt.

1.198.4 Go, Kṣattṛ, bring them here, well honoured, along with their mother and together with that goddess-like Kṛṣṇā, O Bhārata.

1.198.5 By good fortune the Pārthas live; by good fortune Pṛthā lives; by good fortune those great warriors have won the daughter of Drupada.

1.198.6 By good fortune we all prosper; by good fortune Purocana has been quieted; by good fortune my great grief has been taken away, O greatly glorious one.

1.198.7 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Vidura, by the command of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, went to Yajñasena and to the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata.

1.198.8 Having gone there, that knower of righteousness, learned in all the scriptures, attended upon Drupada in proper form, O king, joining him as was appropriate.

1.198.9 And Drupada too received Vidura in due form, and together they exchanged, as was fitting, the customary inquiries after one another's welfare.

1.198.10 He saw the Pāṇḍavas there and Vāsudeva as well, O Bhārata; embracing them with affection, he then inquired about their health.

1.198.11 And he of boundless intellect was duly honoured by them in proper order, repeatedly with affection, at the bidding of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.198.12 He inquired after the welfare of those sons of Pāṇḍu, O king, and also bestowed upon them various gems and riches.

1.198.13 For the Pāṇḍavas and Kuntī, for Draupadī, O lord of the people, and for the sons of Drupada, gifts were given as was given by the Kauravas.

1.198.14 And he of boundless wisdom spoke humbly and with courtesy to Drupada in the presence of the sons of Pāṇḍu and of Keśava.

1.198.15 O king, hear my words together with your ministers and sons — Dhṛtarāṣṭra together with his sons, ministers, and kinsmen...

1.198.16 ...inquires after your welfare, O king, again and again with joy; and he is deeply gladdened by the alliance with you, O lord of men.

1.198.17 Likewise Bhīṣma son of Śaṃtanu, greatly wise, together with all the Kauravas, inquires after your welfare in every respect.

1.198.18 Droṇa the son of Bharadvāja, the great archer and your dear friend, approaches you in a close embrace and inquires after your welfare.

1.198.19 Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O Pāñcālya, considers himself fulfilled in having obtained alliance with you, and so do all the Kauravas.

1.198.20 Their gaining a kingdom is not considered to bring them as much joy as obtaining this alliance with you, O Yajñasena.

1.198.21 Knowing this, may you dispatch the Pāṇḍavas; for the Kauravas are greatly eager to see the heirs of Pāṇḍu.

1.198.22 These bulls among men have been away for a long time, and Pṛthā too will be eager to see the city.

1.198.23 And all the noble ladies of the Kurus are eagerly awaiting to see Kṛṣṇā the Pāñcālī, as well as our city and realm.

1.198.24 May you, without delay, instruct the sons of Pāṇḍu to depart together with their wives — this is the message I bring.

1.198.25 When you have sent forth the great-souled Pāṇḍavas, O king, I shall then dispatch Dhṛtarāṣṭra's swift messengers; the sons of Kuntī will come, and Kuntī together with Kṛṣṇā.

1.199.1 Drupada said: O greatly wise Vidura, it is even as you say to me today; I too feel supreme joy at this alliance having been made, O lord.

1.199.2 And their going home would indeed be proper; yet it is not for me to say so myself in my own words just now.

1.199.3 When the heroic Yudhiṣṭhira son of Kuntī thinks fit, and Bhīmasena and Arjuna, and the twins who are bulls among men,

1.199.4 and also Rāma and Kṛṣṇa who know righteousness — then let the Pāṇḍavas go; for these two tiger-like men are devoted to what is dear and beneficial to them.

1.199.5 Yudhiṣṭhira said: O king, we all along with our followers are subject to you; whatever you will say to us with affection, so shall we do.

1.199.6 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Vāsudeva said: Departure pleases me, or whatever King Drupada, the knower of all righteousness, may think.

1.199.7 Drupada said: Whatever the heroic Dāśārha, the best of men, the long-armed one, regards as timely — that judgment is my settled conviction.

1.199.8 For just as the greatly blessed sons of Kuntī are now mine, so too are the sons of Pāṇḍu Vāsudeva's — of this there is no doubt.

1.199.9 The son of Kuntī, Yudhiṣṭhira born of Dharma, does not contemplate for them what Keśava the tiger among men contemplates for their good.

1.199.10 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, given leave by the great-souled Drupada, the Pāṇḍavas and Kṛṣṇa and the great-minded Vidura

1.199.11 took Draupadī Kṛṣṇā and the illustrious Kuntī and journeyed in ease and comfort to the city named after the serpent — Hāstinapura.

1.199.12 And Dhṛtarāṣṭra the Kaurava, hearing that the heroes were approaching, sent the Kauravas to receive the Pāṇḍavas.

1.199.13 He sent Vikarṇa the great archer and Citrasena, O Bhārata, and Droṇa the supreme archer and Kṛpa the son of Gautama.

1.199.14 Surrounded by them, those heroic and resplendent great warriors then slowly entered the city of Hāstinapura.

1.199.15 The city seemed to burst with excitement as those tiger-like men — who dispel grief and sorrow — entered.

1.199.16 Then the Pāṇḍavas, who touched the heart, heard high and low voices of welcome uttered by those wishing to show them affection.

1.199.17 "This tiger among men, the knower of righteousness, returns — he who protects us with righteousness as though we were his own heirs."

1.199.18 "Today great King Pāṇḍu has returned as though from the forest, he who loves the forest — come to do what is dear to us; of this there is no doubt."

1.199.19 "What has not been done today that is supremely dear to all of us — for the heroic sons of Kuntī, our lords, have returned?"

1.199.20 "If we have given gifts, if we have offered oblations, if we have performed austerities — by that merit, may the Pāṇḍavas dwell in the city for a hundred autumns."

1.199.21 Then they paid reverence at the feet of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the great-souled Bhīṣma and of the others who were worthy of such honour.

1.199.22 Having exchanged greetings with the entire city, they entered their quarters by the command of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

1.199.23 After resting for some time, those great-souled and mighty men were summoned by King Dhṛtarāṣṭra and by the son of Śaṃtanu.

1.199.24 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O son of Kuntī, hear these words of mine together with your brothers — let there be no conflict between you again; enter Khāṇḍavaprastha.

1.199.25 And no one will be able to trouble you while you dwell there, protected by Pārtha as the thirty gods are protected by the wielder of the thunderbolt; having obtained half the kingdom, enter Khāṇḍavaprastha.

1.199.26 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Accepting that command and bowing to the king, those bulls among men departed thence toward that formidable forest, and having obtained half the kingdom, they entered Khāṇḍavaprastha.

1.199.27 Then those Pāṇḍavas, unfailing, went there with Kṛṣṇa at their head and adorned that city, making it like heaven itself.

1.199.28 Then those great warriors, in that holy and auspicious place, having performed the peace rite, laid out the city with Dvaipāyana at their head.

1.199.29 It was adorned with moats resembling the ocean, and furnished with a rampart that seemed to touch and cover the sky.

1.199.30 Gleaming like white clouds and like a mass of snow, that finest of cities shone with its serpents just as Bhogavatī does.

1.199.31 It was guarded by gateways fearsome in appearance, resembling Garuḍa with wings spread, and protected by gatehouse towers resembling piled clouds, like Mount Mandara.

1.199.32 Well guarded and covered with various weapons thrust in firmly, and encircled by spears like two-tongued serpents, furnished with regular watch-platforms, it shone with warriors as its guard.

1.199.33 Adorned with sharp elephant-goads, śataghni machines, and a network of war-engines, and further with great iron wheels, that finest of cities shone resplendent.

1.199.34 With its broad avenues well laid out, free from the affliction of evil spirits, and brilliant with various magnificent white mansions, it blazed forth in glory.

1.199.35 That Indraprastha shone like the heaven of the gods, even as a great mass of clouds in the sky swells and is encircled with lightning.

1.199.36 There, in that delightful and auspicious place, the dwelling of the Kauravya prince shone, filled with wealth, resembling the abode of Kubera, the lord of riches.

1.199.37 There, O king, came brahmins who were the foremost among all knowers of the Vedas, and they were pleased to take up residence there — men who were also versed in all languages.

1.199.38 Merchants too came there from all directions seeking wealth, and all manner of artisans came to settle in that land at that time.

1.199.39 And charming gardens spread all around the city, with mango trees, hog-plum trees, kadamba trees, aśoka trees, and campaka trees —

1.199.40 — with puṃnāga and nāgapuṣpa trees, lakuca and jackfruit trees, śāla, tāla and kadamba trees, bakula and saketaka trees,

1.199.41 — with lovely flowering trees bowed down under the weight of their fruits, with old āmalaka trees, lodhra trees, and aṅkola trees in full bloom,

1.199.42 — with rose-apple trees, pāṭalā trees, kubjaka and atimuktaka creepers, karavīra and pārijāta trees, and many other trees of diverse kinds —

1.199.43 — always bearing flowers and fruits, filled with flocks of birds of many species, resounding with the cries of intoxicated peacocks and ever-joyful cuckoos.

1.199.44 The gardens were adorned with houses as pure and clear as mirrors, with various arbours of climbing plants, with charming painted pavilions and raised terraces like little hills, and with various step-wells brimming with the finest water.

1.199.45 There were also most delightful lakes fragrant with lotuses and blue water-lilies, filled with swans and kāraṇḍava ducks and graced by cakravāka birds.

1.199.46 There were various charming lotus-ponds surrounded by groves, and beautiful tanks — both large and great.

1.199.47 As those Pāṇḍavas dwelt in that great realm filled with virtuous people, O great king, their joy continuously increased.

1.199.48 There, with the establishment of righteousness brought about by Bhīṣma and the king, the Pāṇḍavas became the settled inhabitants of Khāṇḍavaprastha.

1.199.49 Graced by those five mighty archers who were like Indra himself, that finest of cities shone just as Bhogavatī shines graced by the nāgas.

1.199.50 Having settled them there, that hero Keśava then departed for Dvāravatī together with Rāma, O king, with the consent of the Pāṇḍavas.

1.200.1 Janamejaya said: O treasure of asceticism, having thus obtained that kingdom at Indraprastha, what thereafter did those great-souled Pāṇḍavas do?

1.200.2 All those great-souled men who were the forebears of my grandfather — how did Draupadī, the lawful wife, conduct herself toward them?

1.200.3 How was it that those five lords of men, all sharing the one Kṛṣṇā, though greatly blessed, did not become divided against one another?

1.200.4 I wish to hear all of this in full detail, O treasure of asceticism — their conduct toward one another while they were united with that Kṛṣṇā.

1.200.5 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Permitted by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, those tiger-men among men, the Pāṇḍavas, scorchers of foes, having obtained their kingdom, took their delight together with Kṛṣṇā.

1.200.6 Having obtained the kingdom, the greatly resplendent Yudhiṣṭhira, true to his word, governed the earth righteously together with his brothers.

1.200.7 Having vanquished their enemies, those greatly wise sons of Pāṇḍu, devoted to truth and righteousness, dwelt there having attained the highest joy.

1.200.8 Performing all duties toward the citizens, those bulls among men took their seats on magnificent royal thrones.

1.200.9 Then, while all those great-souled men were seated thus, the divine sage Nārada arrived of his own accord. Yudhiṣṭhira offered his own beautiful seat to him.

1.200.10 Once the divine sage had taken his seat, the wise Yudhiṣṭhira himself offered him the arghya guest-gift according to due rite and presented his kingdom to him.

1.200.11 Having accepted that worship, the sage became glad at heart. After blessing him with benedictions he said to him: "Be seated."

1.200.12 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, given leave, sat down, and sent word to Kṛṣṇā that the venerable one had arrived.

1.200.13 On hearing this, Draupadī too, having purified herself and composed her mind, went to where Nārada was sitting with the Pāṇḍavas.

1.200.14 She who walks in the path of righteousness, the daughter of Drupada, bowed to the feet of the divine sage, stood with joined palms, well-veiled in her garment.

1.200.15 That righteous-souled, truth-speaking best of sages, Nārada, pronounced various blessings upon her, the princess, and the venerable one said to that blameless lady: "You may go."

1.200.16 Then, after Kṛṣṇā had gone, the venerable sage spoke privately to all the Pāṇḍavas with Yudhiṣṭhira at their head.

1.200.17 "The glorious Pāñcālī is the one lawful wife of you all. A rule must be established among you so that no dissension arises here.

1.200.18 The two asuras Sunda and Upasunda were brothers who stood together — both invincible to all others, renowned in the three worlds.

1.200.19 They shared one kingdom, one house, one bed, seat, and food — yet on account of Tilottamā those two killed each other.

1.200.20 Therefore let a mutual friendship be safeguarded between you. Do what is necessary so that no division arises among you, O Yudhiṣṭhira."

1.200.21 Yudhiṣṭhira said: O great sage, whose sons were the asuras Sunda and Upasunda? How did the division arise among them, and how did they kill each other?

1.200.22 Was Tilottamā an apsarā or a daughter of the gods? Whose was she, maddened by desire for whom those two killed each other?

1.200.23 We wish to hear all of this exactly as it happened, and in full detail, O treasure of asceticism — for our curiosity is very great, O brahmin.

1.201.1 Nārada said: Hear from me in full this ancient tale exactly as it happened, O Pārtha Yudhiṣṭhira, together with your brothers.

1.201.2 In the lineage of the great asura Hiraṇyakaśipu there was of old a lord of the daityas named Nikumbha, full of energy and great in strength.

1.201.3 His two sons were born of great valour and terrible might. They ate together, each with the other, and never went anywhere without the other.

1.201.4 Each was devoted to the pleasure of the other, each spoke words dear to the other; alike in character and conduct, they were as though one being divided into two.

1.201.5 Those two, grown great and mighty, with a single resolve even in their undertakings, took a single firm resolution: to conquer the three worlds.

1.201.6 Taking the rite of consecration, they went to the Vindhya mountain and there performed fierce austerities. After a long time they became fully absorbed in tapas.

1.201.7 Exhausted by hunger and thirst, wearing matted locks and bark-cloth garments, with all their limbs encrusted with dirt, they became subsisting on air alone.

1.201.8 Offering oblations of their own flesh, standing balanced on the tips of their big toes, arms raised upward, eyes unblinking, they maintained their vow for a long time.

1.201.9 By the power of their austerities, the Vindhya mountain, scorched for a long time, began to emit smoke — and that seemed like a wonder.

1.201.10 Then the gods became frightened on seeing their fierce austerities, and the gods created obstacles for the purpose of disrupting their tapas.

1.201.11 They repeatedly tempted the two with jewels and women, again and again — but those two, so mighty in their vow, did not break their vow.

1.201.12 Then the gods devised another illusion for those two great-souled ones — their sisters, mothers, wives, and their retinue of attendants,

1.201.13 — being chased in terror by a demon holding a trident, their ornaments and hair dishevelled, their garments slipping from their bodies,

1.201.14 — all running toward them crying "Save us! Save us!" Yet those two, so mighty in their vow, did not break their vow.

1.201.15 When neither of the two was moved to agitation or distress, those women and all that apparition vanished away entirely.

1.201.16 Then the Grandfather himself, Brahmā the grandfather of all worlds, approached those two great asuras in person and offered them a boon of their choosing.

1.201.17 Then those two brothers, Sunda and Upasunda, firm in their valour, on seeing the divine Grandfather, stood with joined palms.

1.201.18 And then those two spoke together to the divine Lord: "If the Grandfather is pleased with this our austerity —

1.201.19 — may we both be masters of illusion, masters of weapons, mighty, able to assume any form at will, and both immortal — if the Lord is pleased with us."

1.201.20 The Grandfather said: Except for immortality, everything else you have asked shall be granted. Choose instead a manner of death equal to that of the immortals.

1.201.21 "The great austerity you two have undertaken with the aim of doing this — on account of that very purpose, immortality cannot be ordained.

1.201.22 "The austerity has been undertaken by you two for the purpose of conquering the three worlds — on this account, O lords of the daityas, I cannot grant you that wish."

1.201.23 Sunda and Upasunda said: May we have no fear from anything whatsoever — whether movable or immovable — in the three worlds, except from each other, O Grandfather.

1.201.24 The Grandfather said: This boon that you have asked for and stated — this wish I grant you both. And this manner of death shall indeed come to pass for you as ordained.

1.201.25 Nārada said: Then the Grandfather, having granted them that boon and caused them to cease their austerities, departed to the world of Brahmā.

1.201.26 Having obtained all the boons, those two lords of the daityas, now invincible to all the worlds, returned to their own dwelling.

1.201.27 Seeing those two great asuras who had obtained their boons and fulfilled their desire, all their circle of friends and kinsmen rejoiced greatly on their account.

1.201.28 Then those two, discarding their matted locks, became adorned with crowns, decked with the most precious ornaments, and wearing spotless garments.

1.201.29 Those two lords of the daityas, supremely delighted, held an out-of-season moonlit festival fulfilling every desire, as did their circle of friends.

1.201.30 "Eat! Feast! Make merry! Sing! Drink! Give!" — such were the cries that rang out in house after house.

1.201.31 Here and there, with great drinking bouts resounding with the sound of clapping and cymbals, the entire city of the daityas became full of gladness and merriment.

1.201.32 Through those many and various diversions of the daityas who could assume any form at will, years passed in play for them as though they were but a single day.

1.202.1 Nārada said: But as soon as the festival was over, those two who longed to conquer the three worlds took counsel and then gave orders to the army.

1.202.2 Sent off with the blessings of their friends and the elder daitya counsellors, having performed the departure rites, they set out at night under the Maghā constellation.

1.202.3 They set out accompanied by a great daitya army, bearing maces and paṭṭiśa blades, armed with tridents and hammers in hand.

1.202.4 Praised by bards with auspicious hymns and victory songs, those two marched forth with the greatest joy.

1.202.5 Those two daityas, both able to go wherever they willed, rose up into the sky and made their way toward the very dwelling of the gods, intoxicated with the desire for battle.

1.202.6 Learning of their coming and of that boon granted by the Lord, the gods thereupon abandoned heaven and departed to the world of Brahmā.

1.202.7 Those two, fierce in their valour, conquered the realm of Indra and likewise the hosts of yakṣas and rākṣasas, and vanquished even the sky-moving beings.

1.202.8 Those two great asuras then conquered the serpents dwelling within the earth, and vanquished all the barbarian peoples who dwelt by the ocean.

1.202.9 Then, determined to conquer the whole earth, those two of terrible command assembled their soldiers and addressed them in sharp words.

1.202.10 "The royal sages through great sacrifices, and the twice-born through oblations to gods and ancestors, increase the might, strength, and prosperity of the gods.

1.202.11 Therefore all those enemies of the asuras, as they thus grow powerful, must be slain by us all together with every means at our disposal."

1.202.12 Having thus commanded all their forces, and having resolved upon a cruel course, the two set out from the eastern shore of the great ocean, marching in every direction.

1.202.13 Whoever performed sacrifices, and whatever twice-born priests officiated at sacrifices — the mighty pair, upon seeing them all, struck them down by force.

1.202.14 In the hermitages, the sacred fires of the self-purified sages were seized by their soldiers acting without fear and hurled into the waters.

1.202.15 Even the curses pronounced in anger by great-souled sages rich in austerities could not take hold of the two, for they were protected by the boon they had received.

1.202.16 When curses fell off like arrows loosed against stone, the twice-born, abandoning their vows, fled in all directions.

1.202.17 Those on earth who were perfected through austerity, self-restrained and devoted to tranquility, fled in fear of the two just as serpents flee from Garuḍa.

1.202.18 With hermitages churned up and shattered, with sacred vessels and ladles scattered about, the whole world became desolate, as if struck down by time itself.

1.202.19 With royal sages and sages nowhere to be seen, the two great asuras, resolved and bent upon slaughter, wreaked havoc freely.

1.202.20 Taking the form of elephants in rut with ichor streaming from their temples, the two dragged those hiding even in inaccessible places to the abode of Yama.

1.202.21 Becoming lions, then tigers, then vanishing altogether, the two cruel ones, upon sighting sages, slew them through these and various other means.

1.202.22 Sacrifices and Vedic recitation ceased; kings and brahmin priests disappeared; festivals and solemn rites fell into disuse — thus the earth became at that time.

1.202.23 Full of wailing, stricken with fear, with markets and shops closed, with rites to the gods discontinued, and bereft of auspicious marriage celebrations.

1.202.24 Agriculture and cattle-tending ceased; cities and hermitages were demolished; the earth became scattered with bones and skeletons — a terrible sight to behold.

1.202.25 The rites for the ancestors were abandoned, and the auspicious vaṣaṭ-call fell silent; the world took on a fearful appearance and became difficult to look upon.

1.202.26 The moon and the sun, the planets, the stars, the constellations, and the dwellers of heaven all fell into despair upon witnessing the deeds of Sunda and Upasunda.

1.202.27 Having thus conquered all the quarters through cruel deeds, the two asuras, now without rivals, established their encampment at Kurukṣetra.

1.203.1 Nārada said: Then all the divine seers and the perfected supreme sages fell into great distress upon witnessing that vast slaughter.

1.203.2 Those who had conquered anger, conquered the self, and conquered the senses then went, out of compassion for the world, to the dwelling of the Grandfather.

1.203.3 There they beheld the Grandfather seated together with the gods, surrounded on all sides by perfected ones and brahmin sages.

1.203.4 There was the great god Mahādeva, there was Agni along with Vāyu, the Moon and the Sun, Dharma, Parameṣṭhī, and Budha as well.

1.203.5 The Vaikhānasas, the Vālakhilyas, the forest-dwellers, those who live on rays of light, the unborn, the undeluded, the sages who carry fire within them, the ascetics — all these sages were attending upon the Grandfather.

1.203.6 Then, approaching together, all the great sages reported in full everything that Sunda and Upasunda had done.

1.203.7 What had been done, and in what manner it had been done, and in what sequence — they reported all of this in its entirety to the Grandfather.

1.203.8 Then all the hosts of gods and those supreme sages, placing that very matter before him, urged the Grandfather to act.

1.203.9 The Grandfather, having heard the words of all, reflected for a moment and determined what needed to be done.

1.203.10 With a view to their destruction, he summoned Viśvakarmā; and seeing Viśvakarmā before him, the Grandfather of great austerity commanded: "Let a woman be created here, one to be sought after."

1.203.11 Viśvakarmā, having bowed to the Grandfather and praised his words, pondered carefully and then fashioned a divine woman with great effort.

1.203.12 From whatever existed in all three worlds, whether moving or stationary, he gathered with great care each and every beautiful thing.

1.203.13 He set into her body tens of millions of jewels and created her composed of an accumulation of gems — a woman divine in form.

1.203.14 She, fashioned with great effort by Viśvakarmā, became in beauty unrivaled among all women in the three worlds.

1.203.15 There was not the smallest part of her body that was not endowed with the perfection of beauty, nor any place where the gaze of those who looked upon her did not become fixed.

1.203.16 She was as if Śrī herself had taken bodily form — lovely in appearance, glorious of figure — and she stole the eyes and minds of all beings.

1.203.17 Because she was fashioned by gathering jewels particle by particle — sesame-seed by sesame-seed (tila by tila) — the Grandfather gave her the name Tilottamā.

1.203.18 The Grandfather said: "Go, Tilottamā, to the asuras Sunda and Upasunda; with your irresistible beauty, dear one, bring about their temptation."

1.203.19 "Bring it about that merely by seeing you and through the perfection of your beauty, discord arises between the two of them against each other — arrange things thus."

1.203.20 Nārada said: She, promising "so be it" and bowing to the Grandfather, performed a circumambulation of the assembled wise ones there.

1.203.21 The venerable one sat facing east, Maheśvara was to the south, the gods sat to the north, and the sages were on every side.

1.203.22 As she performed that circumambulation there, Indra and the venerable Sthāṇu remained steadfast through fortitude.

1.203.23 As she passed to his side, for Brahmā who was exceedingly desirous of seeing her, another face emerged — a southern face with curved lashes.

1.203.24 As she moved behind him, a western face emerged; as she passed to the northern side, a northern face emerged.

1.203.25 For the great Indra too, a thousand of those wide eyes with reddened corners spread on every side — to his flanks, his back, and his front.

1.203.26 Thus Sthāṇu, the great god, became four-faced in ancient times; and thus the Slayer of Bala, Indra, came to have a thousand eyes.

1.203.27 Likewise, from all the hosts of gods and from the sages in every direction, faces turned whichever way Tilottamā went.

1.203.28 The gaze of those great-souled ones fell upon her body — the gaze of all of them for the most part, excepting only the divine Grandfather.

1.203.29 As she departed then, all the gods and the supreme sages deemed the task accomplished by reason of her perfection of beauty.

1.203.30 When Tilottamā had departed, the sustainer of the worlds dismissed all the gods and those hosts of sages.

1.204.1 Nārada said: Having conquered the earth, the two asuras, without rivals, free from anxiety, having rendered the three worlds undisturbed, felt their purpose accomplished.

1.204.2 Having seized all the jewels of the gods, gandharvas, yakṣas, nāgas, kings, and rākṣasas, the two attained the highest satisfaction.

1.204.3 When there were none left anywhere to oppose them, the two became free of exertion and sported like immortals.

1.204.4 With women, with garlands and fragrances, with abundant food and delicacies to eat, and with various delightful beverages, the two attained the highest pleasure.

1.204.5 In the inner apartments, in forest gardens, in mountain groves and woodland retreats — in whatever places they desired — the two sported like immortals.

1.204.6 Then one day the two came to sport on the flat stone surface of the Vindhya's crest, amid the sāla trees whose tops were in full bloom.

1.204.7 With all divine desirable things brought there, the two sat down with great delight upon excellent seats, together with their women.

1.204.8 Then women attended upon the two with instrumental music and dance, and came forward with songs mingled with praises to give them pleasure.

1.204.9 Then Tilottamā, gathering flowers in that forest, donned a provocative garment of a single red cloth.

1.204.10 She, slowly gathering the karṇikāra flowers that grew on the riverbanks, moved quietly toward the place where the two great asuras sat.

1.204.11 The two, having drunk excellent wine with reddened and intoxicated eyes, were overcome with agitation the very moment they saw that woman of beautiful hips.

1.204.12 The two leapt up, abandoning their seats, and went to where she stood; both, maddened with desire, both besought her.

1.204.13 Sunda seized the fair-browed one by her right hand; Upasunda too grasped Tilottamā by her left hand.

1.204.14 Intoxicated by the boon they had been granted, and by their own bodily strength, and by their intoxication with wealth and jewels, and by the intoxication of wine —

1.204.15 Maddened by all these intoxications, frowning at each other, seized by the madness of desire, the two then spoke to one another.

1.204.16 "She is my wife; to you she is an elder" — thus Sunda addressed him. "She is my wife; to you she is a daughter-in-law" — thus Upasunda addressed him.

1.204.17 "She is not yours, she is mine" — at this, fury entered the two; and on her account both of them seized their terrible iron clubs.

1.204.18 Grasping those terrible clubs and deluded by desire for her, shouting "I am first! I am first!" at each other, the two struck one another down.

1.204.19 The two terrible ones, struck down by the clubs, fell to the surface of the earth with their bodies smeared in blood — like two suns fallen from the sky.

1.204.20 Then those women fled, and the entire host of asuras retreated to the underworld, every one of them trembling with despair and fear.

1.204.21 Then the Grandfather of pure soul came there together with the gods and great sages, desiring to honor Tilottamā.

1.204.22 She, invited by Brahmā to choose a boon, chose simply joy itself; and the pleased Grandfather then addressed her there.

1.204.23 "You shall roam the worlds that the sun traverses, O radiant one; and because of your brilliance, no one will be able to look at you directly."

1.204.24 Having thus bestowed the boon upon her, the lord Grandfather of all the worlds entrusted the three worlds to Indra and departed to Brahmaloka.

1.204.25 Thus those two, who had been united and of one resolve in all matters, became enraged with each other over Tilottamā and slew one another.

1.204.26 "Therefore I tell you out of affection, O best of the Bhāratas all: arrange things so that no discord arises among you all on account of Draupadī. Do so, may it be well with you — if you wish what is dear to me."

1.204.27 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by the great sage Nārada, those great-souled ones, O king, came together with one another and made a compact in the very presence of that divine seer Nārada of boundless might.

1.204.28 "Whoever among us finds another sitting with Draupadī shall live as a celibate student in the forest for twelve years on our behalf."

1.204.29 When that compact had been made by the Pāṇḍavas who walked in righteousness, the great sage Nārada also departed, well pleased, to whatever abode he desired.

1.204.30 Thus was the compact previously made by them at Nārada's instigation; and all of them were never divided against one another from that time forth, O Bhārata.

1.205.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having thus made their compact, the Pāṇḍavas dwelt there, bringing other rulers of the earth under their sway through the might of their weapons.

1.205.2 Kṛṣṇā became obedient to all of those five sons of Pṛthā, those lions among men of immeasurable might.

1.205.3 And she, together with those five heroic husbands, was supremely content, like the Sarasvatī amid its elephants.

1.205.4 While the great-souled Pāṇḍavas conducted themselves righteously, all the Kurus thrived, free from fault and full of happiness.

1.205.5 Then, O lord of the people, O best of kings, after a long time, some thieves stole the cattle of a certain brahmin.

1.205.6 As his wealth was being carried off, the brahmin, swooning with rage, came to Khāṇḍavaprastha and cried out loudly to the Pāṇḍavas.

1.205.7 "My cattle are being carried off by base, cruel, and uncontrolled wretches! Rush out from your domain and pursue them, O Pāṇḍavas!"

1.205.8 "The oblation of the heedless brahmin is plundered by crows; a jackal invades the empty cave of the tiger."

1.205.9 "While a brahmin's property is stolen by thieves, while the purpose of righteousness is violated, while I weep aloud — let your weapons be taken up!"

1.205.10 The Pāṇḍava, Dhanañjaya, son of Kuntī, heard those words of the weeping brahmin close by.

1.205.11 Hearing this, the mighty-armed one said to the brahmin, "Fear not." But where the weapons of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas were kept, King Yudhiṣṭhira the dharmarāja was there together with Kṛṣṇā.

1.205.12 Unable to enter and unable to go away, the Pāṇḍava was urged again and again by the brahmin's words of distress. There, amid that outcry, the son of Kuntī pondered, filled with grief.

1.205.13 "As the wealth of that ascetic brahmin is being carried away, it is my duty to wipe away his tears" — so he resolved.

1.205.14 "The sin of negligent inaction would be very great for a ruler of the earth if today I do not protect this weeping man at my very door."

1.205.15 "And disbelief in all of us would become established in this world if we fail to protect, and unrighteousness would also be ours."

1.205.16 "And if I go without asking the king, without doubt it will displease King Ajātaśatru as well as me."

1.205.17 "But if I enter the king's chamber, I shall have to go to the forest. Let there be great unrighteousness, or let me die in the forest — even at the cost of my body's destruction, dharma alone prevails."

1.205.18 Having thus resolved, Dhanañjaya son of Kuntī entered, took leave of the king, O lord of the people,

1.205.19 and, taking up his bow with joy, spoke to the brahmin: "Come quickly, O brahmin, while those who seek another's wealth still have not gone far."

1.205.20 "Those wretches have not gone far — let us go together now, so that today I may recover your wealth from the hands of the thieves."

1.205.21 The mighty-armed one, bearing his bow, armored, mounted on his chariot with his banner, pursued them, scattered the thieves with his arrows, and conquered that wealth.

1.205.22 Having restored it to the brahmin and having drunk deep of glory, the heroic Pāṇḍava Savyasācī, scorcher of foes, returned to the city.

1.205.23 He saluted all the elders, and being greeted by them in return, he said to Dharmarāja: "Let the vow be prescribed for me."

1.205.24 "The compact has been transgressed by me by my coming into your presence; I shall go to the forest, for this is the agreement we made."

1.205.25 When thus addressed, Dharmarāja was suddenly struck by this unwelcome word; and Yudhiṣṭhira, grieved and with faltering speech, said "How so?" to Guḍākeśa — one brother to the other, the steadfast one.

1.205.26 "If I am an authority for you, hear my word, O sinless one. Whatever displeasure you caused me, O hero, by entering — I pardon all of it; it is not a grievance in my heart."

1.205.27 "For a younger brother's entry into the elder's presence is no offence; it is the younger one's entry that violates the rule for the eldest."

1.205.28 "Turn back, O mighty-armed one, and obey my word; there is no breach of dharma for you, nor has any offence been done to me."

1.205.29 Arjuna said: "I have heard from you that one should not practise dharma under a pretext. I will not swerve from truth — by truth I take up my weapon."

1.205.30 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having obtained the king's permission, he was initiated into the vow of celibacy and came to dwell in the forest for twelve years.

1.206.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As the mighty-armed glory of the Kauravas set out, great-souled brahmins who had mastered the Vedas followed him.

1.206.2 Those learned in the Vedas and their ancillaries, as well as thinkers on the self, the pure and those devoted to the Lord, bards and those versed in the Purāṇas,

1.206.3 other storytellers, O king, ascetic forest-dwellers, and brahmins who sweetly recite celestial narratives —

1.206.4 by these and many other companions with pleasing speech, the son of Pāṇḍu was surrounded and proceeded like Vāsava amid the Maruts.

1.206.5 Pleasant and varied forests, lakes, rivers, oceans, and regions too, O Bhārata,

1.206.6 and holy pilgrimage sites he saw, O bull of the Bhāratas; reaching Gaṅgādvāra, the lord set up his camp.

1.206.7 Hear from me, O Janamejaya, the wonderful deed that the pure-souled foremost charioteer of the Pāṇḍus performed there.

1.206.8 When the son of Kuntī had settled there, O Bhārata, those brahmins kindled their sacred fires many times over.

1.206.9 While those fires were being kindled, blazing, and fed with oblations, flower-offerings having been made, the brahmins having gone to the bank of the ford,

1.206.10 with the learned ones having bathed, disciplined and established on the good path — that Gaṅgādvāra shone exceedingly, O king, with those great souls.

1.206.11 As that encampment was thus filled with activity, the son of Pāṇḍu, the son of Kuntī, descended into the Gaṅgā for his ritual bath.

1.206.12 Having bathed there and satisfied the ancestors, and wishing to ascend from the water in order to perform the fire-rite, O king,

1.206.13 the mighty-armed one was drawn beneath the water, O great king, by Ulūpī, the daughter of the serpent king, who was overcome with desire.

1.206.14 There the Pāṇḍava beheld fire burning clearly and well-tended in the highly honored dwelling of that serpent of the Kauravya line.

1.206.15 There Dhanañjaya, son of Kuntī, performed his fire-rite; offered without hesitation, the fire was pleased with him.

1.206.16 Having performed the fire-rite, the son of Kuntī then spoke this word to the daughter of the serpent king, smiling as it were:

1.206.17 "What is this bold deed you have done, O timid one, O beautiful lady? What is this charming place? And who are you, whose daughter?"

1.206.18 Ulūpī said: "A serpent born in the Airāvata lineage, named Kauravya — I am his daughter, O Pārtha; I am the serpent maiden named Ulūpī."

1.206.19 "When I saw you, O son of Kuntī, descending into the river for your bath, I was at once overcome by Kandarpа, the god of love."

1.206.20 "Me, thus tormented by the bodiless one on your account, O joy of the Kurus — I who have come to you and to no other — gladden today by giving yourself to me in private."

1.206.21 Arjuna said: "This twelve-year vow of celibacy has been enjoined upon me by Dharmarāja; I am not my own master, O fortunate one."

1.206.22 "And I wish to do what is pleasing to you as well, O dweller in the water; I have never spoken an untruth at any time."

1.206.23 "How then might that not be untruth and yet what is pleasing to you might also come about, and my dharma might not be harmed — tell me how to act so, O serpent maiden."

1.206.24 Ulūpī said: "I know, O son of Pāṇḍu, how you wander the earth, and how your preceptor enjoined this celibacy upon you."

1.206.25 "Whichever of you, heedlessly, were to intrude upon the other in the presence of Drupada's daughter — he was to observe celibacy in the forest for twelve years: this is the compact you made."

1.206.26 "This exile from one another was made for the sake of Draupadī, for the purpose of dharma — in this matter dharma is not violated."

1.206.27 "And the rescue of those in distress is a duty, O large-eyed one; by rescuing me, your dharma is not diminished."

1.206.28 "And even if there were the slightest transgression of this dharma, that too would be dharma for you — by giving me life, O Arjuna."

1.206.29 "Cherish me who am devoted to you, O Pārtha; this is the view of the good, O lord. If you do not act thus, know me as dead."

1.206.30 "By the gift of life practise the highest dharma, O mighty-armed one; I have come to you for refuge today, O best of men."

1.206.31 "O son of Kuntī, you always protect the wretched and the unprotected; I come to you for shelter and I cry out in grief."

1.206.32 "I beg you, being desirous of you; therefore do what is pleasing to me. You — you are the one who should fulfil my desire by giving yourself."

1.206.33 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by the daughter of the serpent king, the son of Kuntī did all of that, citing dharma as the reason.

1.206.34 That valiant one, having spent that night in the serpent's dwelling, rose at sunrise and departed from the abode of Kauravya.

1.207.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having narrated all that to the brahmins, O Bhārata, the son of the wielder of the thunderbolt then journeyed to the slopes of the Himālaya.

1.207.2 Reaching the Agastya-banyan tree, the mountain of Vasiṣṭha, and the heights of Bhṛgu, the son of Kuntī performed his purification.

1.207.3 He gave thousands of cattle and also dwellings to the twice-born at the sacred fords and shrines — that best of Kurus gave.

1.207.4 And bathing at the ford of Hiraṇyabindu, that best of men beheld the finest mountains and the sacred shrines.

1.207.5 Descending with the brahmins, O Bhārata, that best of men, bull of the Bhāratas, set out with the intention of reaching the eastern direction.

1.207.6 The best of Kurus visited the pilgrimage sites in due order, and the lovely river Utpalinī, towards the Naimiṣa forest.

1.207.7 The Nandā, the Aparanandā, the celebrated Kauśikī, the great river, Gayā, and the Gaṅgā as well, O Bhārata.

1.207.8 Thus beholding all the pilgrimage sites and hermitages, purifying himself, he gave wealth to the brahmins.

1.207.9 Whatever sacred sites and shrines existed in Aṅga, Vaṅga, and Kaliṅga — he went to all of them, and having duly visited them, he gave wealth there as well.

1.207.10 At the borders of the Kaliṅga kingdom, the brahmins who had been accompanying the Pāṇḍava took leave of the son of Kuntī and turned back, O Bhārata.

1.207.11 Bidden farewell by them, that hero Dhanañjaya son of Kuntī, with few companions, set out in the direction of the ocean.

1.207.12 Crossing through Kaliṅga and beholding the righteous and lovely lands and shrines, the lord journeyed on.

1.207.13 Having seen the Mahendra mountain adorned with ascetics, he slowly went along the seashore to Maṇalūra.

1.207.14 Having visited all the sacred fords and shrines there, the mighty-armed one approached the lord of the earth, O king — the ruler of Maṇalūra, Citravāhana, knower of dharma.

1.207.15 That king had a daughter named Citrāṅgadā, beautiful to behold; Arjuna saw her wandering at will in that city.

1.207.16 Seeing that woman of noble bearing, he desired Citravāhinī; and approaching the king, he made known his intention. The king then spoke these words to him with conciliation:

1.207.17 In this lineage there was a king named Prabhaṅkara who, childless and longing for offspring, performed the most arduous austerities.

1.207.18 By that fierce austerity and prostration, Śaṅkara, the Lord Mahādeva, husband of Umā, was pleased by him.

1.207.19 The Blessed Lord granted him one birth in the lineage; and since then, only one birth at a time has ever occurred in this family.

1.207.20 From all those earlier ancestors of mine, only boys were born; but this daughter of mine was born as the certain perpetuator of the lineage.

1.207.21 My conviction is that she is my son, O best of men; by the rule of the putrika she is designated thus, O bull of the Bhāratas.

1.207.22 Let this be the bride-price for her: a son born here shall be the founder of the lineage. On this condition accept her, O Pāṇḍava.

1.207.23 Having pledged "so be it" and having accepted that maiden, the son of Kuntī dwelt in that city for three winter seasons.

1.208.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the bull of the Bhāratas proceeded to visit the most sacred shrines on the southern ocean, adorned by ascetics.

1.208.2 The ascetics there avoided five of those shrines — those which had previously been frequented by ascetics of old.

1.208.3 Agastya's shrine, Saubhadra, Pauloma — most purifying — Karandhama the clear, the one granting the fruit of the horse-sacrifice, and the great shrine of Bharadvāja that quells sin.

1.208.4 The Pāṇḍava noticed those shrines to be deserted, and seeing them shunned by the sages of righteous mind,

1.208.5 the descendant of Kuru then asked the ascetics with folded hands: "Why are these shrines avoided by those versed in sacred lore?"

1.208.6 The ascetics said: Five crocodiles dwell in these waters and drag down men rich in austerity; therefore these shrines are avoided, O descendant of Kuru.

1.208.7 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing their words, the mighty-armed best of men — though restrained by the ascetics — went to see those shrines himself.

1.208.8 Then reaching Saubhadra, the foremost shrine of the great sage, the heroic scorcher of foes plunged in swiftly and bathed.

1.208.9 Then a great crocodile dwelling beneath the water seized in the depths that tiger among men, Dhanañjaya, son of Kuntī.

1.208.10 The mighty-armed son of Kuntī, best among the strong, lifted that thrashing water-creature out of the water by sheer force.

1.208.11 As it was dragged out by the glorious Arjuna, the crocodile became a beautiful woman adorned with all ornaments, blazing with splendour, O king — divine in form and enchanting to behold.

1.208.12 Seeing that great marvel, Dhanañjaya, son of Kuntī, was utterly delighted and spoke these words to that woman:

1.208.13 "Who are you, fair one? Where do you come from, you who were dwelling in the water? And why did you formerly commit this great sin?"

1.208.14 The woman said: I am an apsara, O mighty-armed one, who roams the divine forests; I am beloved of the Lord of wealth — Varga is my name, O great one.

1.208.15 I have four other companions, all beautiful and able to go wherever they wish; together with them I had journeyed to the abode of the World-guardians.

1.208.16 There we all beheld a brahmin firm in his vow, handsome, engaged in study, alone, wandering in solitude.

1.208.17 By his austerity, O king, that entire forest was covered with his radiance; like the sun, he illumined that whole region.

1.208.18 Seeing such austerity and a form so wondrous to behold, we descended to that place intending to obstruct his penances.

1.208.19 I, and Saurabheyī, Samici, Budbuda, and Lata — all together we approached that brahmin, O Bhārata.

1.208.20 Singing, laughing, and enticing that twice-born, he did not at all turn his mind toward us, O hero; the great-souled one did not waver, established in pure austerity.

1.208.21 That brahmin, angered, cursed us, O bull among warriors: 'You shall become crocodiles and roam the waters for a hundred years.'

1.209.1 Varga said: Then all of us, greatly distressed, O best of the Bhāratas, went for refuge to that unwavering brahmin rich in austerity.

1.209.2 'Intoxicated by beauty, youth, and the arrows of Kāma, we have done what was not fitting; please forgive us, O twice-born one.'

1.209.3 'This itself is punishment enough for us, O wealth of austerity, that we came here to tempt you, a man of sharpened soul.'

1.209.4 'Those who contemplate the law hold that women were created inviolable; therefore by the law, O knower of the law, you ought not to harm us.'

1.209.5 'A brahmin is called the friend of all beings, O knower of the law; may this saying of the wise prove true, O auspicious one.'

1.209.6 'The righteous protect those who come to them for refuge; we have come to you for refuge, therefore you ought to forgive us.'

1.209.7 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, that righteous brahmin, doer of auspicious deeds, radiant as the sun and moon combined, was gracious, O hero.

1.209.8 The brahmin said: A hundred, a thousand, the all — these words denote the inexhaustible; but "hundred" here is merely a measure and does not mean the inexhaustible.

1.209.9 When you, having become crocodiles, are seizing men in the water, and some best of men lifts one of you from the water to dry land —

1.209.10 then you shall all regain your own forms. Never before have I spoken an untruth, even in jest.

1.209.11 All those shrines from this time forward shall everywhere be known in the world as the Women's Shrines by name, and shall be holy and purifying for the wise.

1.209.12 Varga said: Then, having saluted that brahmin and circumambulated him, we departed from that region in great distress, pondering our fate.

1.209.13 "Where indeed and when shall we all meet that man who will restore us to our own forms once more?"

1.209.14 While we were pondering thus, O Bhārata, in a moment as it were, we caught sight of the greatly blessed divine sage Nārada.

1.209.15 All of us were delighted to see that divine sage of immeasurable brilliance; we saluted him, O Pārtha, and stood before him with anguished faces.

1.209.16 He asked us the root of our suffering; we told him everything; and having heard it and the entire occurrence, he spoke these words:

1.209.17 'On the southern shore of the ocean there are five sacred and delightful shrines — go there without delay.'

1.209.18 'There soon the tiger among men, the Pāṇḍava Dhanañjaya, pure of soul, will without doubt rescue you from your suffering.'

1.209.19 Hearing his words, all of us came here, O hero; and today that has come true — I have been freed by you, O sinless one.

1.209.20 These four other companions of mine still remain in the water; perform a good deed, O hero — free them all.

1.209.21 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the foremost of Pāṇḍavas, lord of the people, undaunted in spirit, the valiant one, freed them all from that curse.

1.209.22 Rising from that water and regaining their own forms, those apsaras, O king, became visible again just as they had been before.

1.209.23 Having thus purified those shrines and taken leave of them, the lord went to the city of Manalura to see Citrāṅgada again.

1.209.24 Upon her he fathered a son, the king Babhruvāhana; having seen him, O king, the Pāṇḍava proceeded toward Gokarṇa.

1.210.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: He of immeasurable prowess visited in due order all the sacred shrines and holy places in the western coastal region.

1.210.2 Having visited all the shrines and holy places on the western ocean, he arrived at Prabhāsa.

1.210.3 The slayer of Madhu heard that Bībhatsu, the unconquered, had reached the Prabhāsa region and was travelling from shrine to shrine.

1.210.4 Then the Mādhava went unannounced to the son of Kuntī; and the two — Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava — beheld each other at Prabhāsa.

1.210.5 The two dear friends — those seers Nara and Nārāyaṇa — embraced one another and enquired after each other's welfare in the forest, and sat down together.

1.210.6 Then Vāsudeva asked Arjuna about that journey: "Why, O Pāṇḍava, do you travel through all these shrines?"

1.210.7 Then Arjuna narrated everything as it had occurred; and hearing it, the lord of the Vṛṣṇi clan said "Even so it is."

1.210.8 After the two — Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava — had taken their pleasure at Prabhāsa as they wished, they went to the mountain Raivataka to spend the night.

1.210.9 At Kṛṣṇa's prior instruction, men had already adorned that mountain and brought food there.

1.210.10 Arjuna accepted everything, and the Pāṇḍava, having enjoyed it together with Vāsudeva, watched actors and dancers.

1.210.11 Having dismissed them all and honoured them, the Pāṇḍava of great radiance went to a well-appointed, divine bed.

1.210.12 He recounted to the Sātvata the sights of the shrines, the mountains, the rivers, and the forests, O Bhārata.

1.210.13 While still telling those tales, O Janamejaya, the son of Kuntī was carried away by sleep on that heaven-like bed.

1.210.14 Roused by sweet song and the sound of the vina, and by auspicious hymns of praise, O sinless one, he awoke.

1.210.15 Having performed his necessary duties and welcomed by the Vṛṣṇi lord, he set out for Dvārakā on a chariot with golden fittings.

1.210.16 Dvārakā was adorned, O Janamejaya, in honour of the son of Kuntī — even in the inner courtyards.

1.210.17 The people of Dvārakā, eager to see the son of Kuntī, rushed in hundreds of thousands to the king's highway.

1.210.18 At the viewing-galleries there were hundreds and thousands of women, and a great assembly of the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas gathered.

1.210.19 Honoured thus by all the sons of the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas, saluting and being saluted by all, he was welcomed with joy.

1.210.20 Greeted with honour by princes on all sides, the hero embraced all those of equal age again and again.

1.210.21 In Kṛṣṇa's delightful palace, filled with jewels and rich food, he dwelt together with Kṛṣṇa, passing many nights there.

1.211.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, after a few days, O king, a very great festival of the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas took place on that Raivataka mountain.

1.211.2 There the heroes of the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas gave gifts to brahmins by the thousands, in honour of that great mountain.

1.211.3 With palaces inlaid with gems all around that mountain, the region was made beautiful, O king, and with lamp-trees on every side.

1.211.4 Musicians played their instruments there; dancers danced; and singers sang their songs.

1.211.5 Adorned young princes of the Vṛṣṇis, of very great energy, moved about everywhere in carriages decorated with gold ornaments.

1.211.6 Citizens on foot and in vehicles great and small, accompanied by their wives and retinues, moved about in hundreds and thousands.

1.211.7 Then Balarāma, the wielder of the plough — intoxicated, accompanied by Revati, attended by Gandharvas — roamed there, O Bhārata.

1.211.8 Likewise the mighty king of the Vṛṣṇis, Ugrasena the illustrious, was being extolled by the Gandharvas, attended by a thousand women.

1.211.9 Rukmiṇī's son and Sāmba, both exhilarated and terrible in battle, wearing divine garlands and garments, sported there like two immortals.

1.211.10 Akrūra, Sāraṇa, Gada, Bhānu, Viḍūratha, Niśaṭha, Cārudeṣṇa, Pṛthu and Vipṛthu —

1.211.11 Satyaka, Sātyaki, and Bhangakara's companions, Hārdikya Kṛtavarman, and many others not named here —

1.211.12 all these, each accompanied by women and Gandharvas separately, adorned that festival on mount Raivataka at that time.

1.211.13 While that great and auspicious tumult was in progress, Vāsudeva and Pārtha wandered about together.

1.211.14 As the two strolled there, they beheld at that moment Vāsudeva's daughter Bhadra, fair and adorned, in the midst of her companions.

1.211.15 The moment Arjuna saw her, Kāma arose within him; and Kṛṣṇa noticed Pārtha thus with his mind fixed single-pointedly upon her.

1.211.16 Then the lotus-eyed one spoke, almost smiling, O Bhārata: "Why is the mind of this forest-dweller now stirred by desire?"

1.211.17 "This is my sister, O Pārtha, the full sister of Sāraṇa; if the thought abides in your mind, I shall speak to my father myself."

1.211.18 Arjuna said: She is the daughter of Vāsudeva and the sister of Vāsudeva; endowed with such beauty, whom would she not bewitch?

1.211.19 All good fortune would surely be mine if this lady of the Vṛṣṇi clan, your sister, were to become my principal queen.

1.211.20 But what means could there be of obtaining her — tell me, Janārdana; I will undertake everything, if it is achievable by a man.

1.211.21 Vāsudeva said: The svayamvara is the marriage form of Kṣatriyas, O bull among men; yet that too, O Pārtha, is uncertain because of the unpredictability of her own inclination.

1.211.22 Forcible abduction is also praised among Kṣatriyas for the purpose of marriage, among heroes — so those who know dharma declare.

1.211.23 Therefore, Arjuna, you yourself forcibly carry off my auspicious sister; for who can know what she intends in a svayamvara?

1.211.24 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, having resolved on the course of action, dispatched swift messengers, O king, at that time.

1.211.25 All of this was conveyed to Dharmarāja at Indraprastha, and that mighty-armed Pāṇḍava, having heard it, gave his consent.

1.212.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, O Janamejaya, once agreement was reached and Dhanañjaya had received permission, learning that the maiden had gone to mount Raivataka —

1.212.2 permitted by Vāsudeva, having announced the plan of action, and knowing Kṛṣṇa's intent, that bull of the Bhārata line set forth.

1.212.3 On a chariot with golden fittings, properly equipped, yoked with the horses Sainya and Sugrīva, and adorned with a net of small bells —

1.212.4 furnished with every weapon, thundering like a cloud in a forest, blazing bright as a burning fire, the slayer of enemies' joy —

1.212.5 fully armored, wearing his cuirass, sword at his side, wrist-guard and finger-guard fastened on — under the pretext of a hunt, simultaneously, O Bhārata.

1.212.6 Meanwhile Subhadrā, having worshipped the lord of mountains Raivataka together with all the deities, and having received the blessings of the Brāhmaṇas —

1.212.7 having circumambulated the mountain clockwise, was proceeding toward Dvārakā; Kaunteya rushed upon her and forcibly lifted her onto the chariot.

1.212.8 Then that tiger among men, taking her of the pure smile, sped away on that sky-coursing chariot toward his own city.

1.212.9 Seeing Subhadrā being carried away, the soldiers all ran crying out in all directions toward the city of Dvārakā.

1.212.10 Coming together, they reached the assembly hall of Sudharma and reported to the hall-guardian everything of Pārtha's bold act.

1.212.11 Hearing their report, the hall-guardian then struck the great war drum, loud-sounding, adorned with gold.

1.212.12 Stirred by that sound, the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas then flung aside their food and drink and flocked to the assembly.

1.212.13 Then with golden frames, spread with costly coverings, inlaid with gems and coral, blazing with a fiery radiance —

1.212.14 the great warrior Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka heroes, tigers among men, occupied the hundreds of thrones like fires upon their altars.

1.212.15 When they were seated, like the assembly of gods, the hall-guardian and his attendants reported to them the deed of Jiṣṇu.

1.212.16 Hearing that, those Vṛṣṇi heroes, their eyes reddened at the corners with pride and wine, unable to endure it, rose up in arrogance against Pārtha.

1.212.17 "Yoke the chariots quickly!" and "Bring the lances!" and "Bring the great bows and the broad coats of mail!" —

1.212.18 some cried out to the charioteers "Yoke the chariots!" and some themselves led out the horses adorned with gold.

1.212.19 With chariots being brought, coats of mail and banners being borne out, and the war-cries of the warrior-heroes, there was a great tumult at that time.

1.212.20 Then Vanamali, intoxicated, resembling the peak of Mount Kailāsa, clad in blue, swelling with exhilaration, spoke these words:

1.212.21 "What are you doing, you imprudent ones? While Janārdana sits silent, you are in a rage without knowing his mind — these are empty roarings."

1.212.22 "Let this one of great wisdom first declare his own intention; whatever pleases him to do, that do you carry out without delay."

1.212.23 Then they, hearing that speech from Halaayudha — acceptable in its form — all fell silent, and said "Well said, well said."

1.212.24 Having heard the balanced words of wise Baladeva, all of them sat down again in the midst of the assembly.

1.212.25 Then Kamapala addressed Vāsudeva the scorcher of foes: "Why do you sit silent and merely watching, Janārdana?"

1.212.26 "Pārtha was honored by all of us out of regard for you, O Acyuta, and yet that evil-minded defiler of his lineage does not deserve such honor."

1.212.27 "For what man who considers himself born in a noble family would think it right to break the very vessel in which he has just eaten?"

1.212.28 "And who, desiring a connection and honoring one already formed, could act in so reckless a manner as to call himself a man of honor?"

1.212.29 "He, having insulted us and disregarded Keśava, has today forcibly carried off Subhadrā — it is his own death that he has seized."

1.212.30 "How can I endure the foot he has placed upon the very crown of my head, O Govinda — as a serpent endures the touch of a foot?"

1.212.31 "Today I alone will make the earth free of Kauravas; this transgression of Arjuna is not to be tolerated by me."

1.212.32 Him thus roaring like the thunder of a great drum of clouds, all the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas then followed at that time.

1.213.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When all the Vṛṣṇis had spoken their words more than once, then Vāsudeva spoke words full of righteousness and purpose:

1.213.2 "Guḍākeśa has not offered any insult to this family; rather, a higher honor has been shown by him — of this there is no doubt."

1.213.3 "Pārtha does not regard you Sātvatas as greedy for gain; the Pāṇḍava also considers a svayamvara something not to be resisted, for him."

1.213.4 "Who would sanction the gift of a maiden as though she were cattle? And what man on earth would make a sale of his own offspring?"

1.213.5 "It is my belief that Kaunteya saw these faults; it is for this reason that the Pāṇḍava carried off the maiden by force, and with dharma on his side."

1.213.6 "And this alliance is fitting, and Subhadrā is illustrious; and Pārtha himself is of such quality — it is for these reasons he has carried her off by force."

1.213.7 "Born in the lineage of Bharata and of the great-souled Śaṃtanu, the grandson of Kuntibhoja's daughter — who would not wish for Arjuna?"

1.213.8 "And I see no one who could defeat Pārtha by valor, even in all the worlds, O noble ones, including those of Indra and Rudra."

1.213.9 "And that chariot of mine, and those horses of mine, and Pārtha as a fighter swift with his weapons — who could be a match for him?"

1.213.10 "Pursue Dhanañjaya and turn him back with the highest conciliation — this is my paramount counsel, and you should follow it gladly."

1.213.11 "If Pārtha were to conquer you and depart by force to his own city, your glory would instantly be destroyed; but in conciliation there is no defeat."

1.213.12 Hearing that, they acted accordingly, O lord of the people; and Arjuna turned back, and there performed the marriage.

1.213.13 Kaunteya dwelt there for more than a year of nights, then the lord spent the remaining time at the Puṣkara tirthas; and when the full twelve years were completed, he entered Khāṇḍavaprastha.

1.213.14 Approaching the king with due humility and self-restraint, and having honored the Brāhmaṇas, Pārtha came to Draupadī.

1.213.15 Draupadī replied to that delighter of the Kurus with affection: "Go there, O Kaunteya, where that daughter of the Sātvata is; even a firmly tied knot loosens first at the old binding."

1.213.16 Dhanañjaya consoled Kṛṣṇā who was lamenting in many ways, and time and again besought her forgiveness.

1.213.17 And Pārtha, acting swiftly, dressed Subhadrā in red silk garments and sent her forward disguised in the form of a cowherdess.

1.213.18 Radiant beyond measure in that form, the illustrious one, wife of a hero and a beautiful woman, reaching the finest dwelling, Bhadra of wide copper-red eyes, that illustrious one, bowed to Pṛthā.

1.213.19 Then Bhadra, her face like the full moon, quickly approached and bowed to Draupadī, saying: "I am your servant."

1.213.20 And Kṛṣṇā, rising to meet her, embraced that sister of Mādhava, and spoke in delight: "May your husband be without a rival!" And Bhadra, equally gladdened, said: "So be it."

1.213.21 Then those great warrior Pāṇḍavas were gladdened in their hearts, and Kuntī was supremely delighted, O Janamejaya.

1.213.22 Hearing that Arjuna, best of the Pāṇḍavas, had arrived at his excellent city and had gone to Indraprastha —

1.213.23 Keśava of the pure soul came together with Rāma, accompanied by the great ministers and the heroic great warriors of the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas.

1.213.24 Encircled by his brothers and young princes and by warriors in their hundreds, the Śauri, that scorcher of foes, was guarded by a great army.

1.213.25 There too came the wise and greatly renowned lord of gifts, Akrūra, the commander of the Vṛṣṇi heroes, the subduer of enemies.

1.213.26 Anādhṛṣṭi of great splendor, and Uddhava of great fame — the very pupil of Bṛhaspati, of great intellect and great renown.

1.213.27 Satyaka and Sātyaki, and Kṛtavarman the Sātvata, Pradyumna and Sāmba, and Niśaṭha and Śaṅku —

1.213.28 the valiant Cārudeṣṇa, Jhilli, and Vipṛthu, and the mighty-armed Sāraṇa, and Gada the foremost among the wise —

1.213.29 these and many others among the Vṛṣṇis, Bhojas, and Andhakas came to Khāṇḍavaprastha, bringing with them abundant wedding gifts.

1.213.30 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, hearing that Mādhava had arrived, sent forth the twin brothers at that time to receive Kṛṣṇa with due honor.

1.213.31 Received and escorted by those two, that prosperous Vṛṣṇi host entered Khāṇḍavaprastha, which was brilliant with banners and standards.

1.213.32 The roads had been sprinkled and swept clean, adorned with heaps of flowers, and pervaded with the cool, sacred fragrance of sandalwood paste.

1.213.33 Fragrant aloe-wood was burning in every quarter; the streets were thronged with well-dressed crowds and graced by merchants on all sides.

1.213.34 The mighty-armed Keśava, best of men, accompanied by Rāma and surrounded by the great chiefs of the Vṛṣṇi, Andhaka, and Bhoja clans, entered the city.

1.213.35 Honored by the citizens and by thousands of Brahmins, he entered the king's palace, which was like the abode of Indra.

1.213.36 Yudhiṣṭhira met Rāma with due ceremony, and after smelling Keśava's head in affection, embraced him with both arms.

1.213.37 Kṛṣṇa honored him in return with great affection and humility, and duly paid his respects to Bhīma, that tiger among men.

1.213.38 The king of righteousness, Yudhiṣṭhira, received those foremost Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka warriors with due honor, each according to his rank and as they came forward.

1.213.39 Some he honored as elders, some as equals and companions; some he greeted with affection, and by others he was himself saluted.

1.213.40 Then the greatly renowned Vāsudeva gave, as the wedding gift — the share due from the bridegroom's kin — the finest wealth for Subhadrā's marriage portion.

1.213.41 Kṛṣṇa gave a thousand chariots with golden fittings, adorned with networks of bells, each drawn by four horses and driven by skilled charioteers, and also ten thousand cows.

1.213.42 The glorious Janārdana, with great joy, also gave a thousand milch cows from the Mathurā region, radiant in their auspicious splendor, and a thousand white mares with limbs bright as moonbeams, adorned with gold ornaments.

1.213.43 Likewise he gave five hundred groups of five each — tamed she-mules swift as the wind, with dark manes yet white in body.

1.213.44 Also a thousand fair-complexioned women skilled in bathing and anointing, well matched in age, beautifully dressed and radiant.

1.213.45 The lotus-eyed one gave these women, each adorned with a hundred golden neck-ornaments, healthy and well-robed, expert in personal attendance.

1.213.46 Janārdana, scion of the Dāśārha line, gave ten man-loads of finest gold — both wrought and unwrought — blazing like fire.

1.213.47 Of elephants in triple rut, with ichor flowing from three places, resembling mountain peaks, never retreating in battle —

1.213.48 — well-caparisoned, adorned with sharp-sounding golden bells and gold garlands, each furnished with its mahout — a thousand such noble elephants did that lover of bold deeds bestow.

1.213.49 Rāma the plough-bearer, delighted and expressing his joy at the new alliance, gave Pārtha a gift to mark the taking of his feet — a token of reverential affection.

1.213.50 That great river of wealth and jewels, foaming with garments and blankets, filled with great elephants and mighty crocodiles, crowded with banners and water-weeds —

1.213.51 — that great river flowed into and filled the white sea of the Pāṇḍavas to overflowing, becoming a grief to their enemies.

1.213.52 Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira received all those gifts and duly honored the great Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka warriors.

1.213.53 Those great-souled ones — the best of Kurus, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas — assembled together and made merry, like virtuous men enjoying the abode of the immortals.

1.213.54 Here and there the Kurus and Vṛṣṇis reveled at grand drinking parties resounding with the clapping of excellent palms, each group as befitted the occasion and their own delight.

1.213.55 Thus, after those warriors of supreme valor had sported for many days and been duly honored by the Kurus, they departed once more for the city of Dvāravatī.

1.213.56 The great Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka warriors set out with Rāma at their head, carrying the bright jewels given to them by the best of the Kurus.

1.213.57 But Vāsudeva, O descendant of Bharata, remained right there in the beautiful city of Śakraprastha, great-souled, and roamed the banks of the Yamunā together with Pārtha.

1.213.58 Then Subhadrā, the dear sister of Keśava, gave birth to a son, Abhimanyu, as radiant as Jayanta — just as Paulomī bore Jayanta to Indra.

1.213.59 Subhadrā brought forth the hero Abhimanyu, bull among men — long-armed, of great vitality, with eyes like a bull's, a crusher of foes.

1.213.60 Because he was fearless and full of wrath, and a trampler of enemies, they called that bull among men, son of Arjuna, Abhimanyu.

1.213.61 That supreme chariot-warrior was born from Dhanaṃjaya upon the Sātvata woman, like fire kindled from the womb of the śamī wood when it is churned at a sacrifice.

1.213.62 At his birth, the mighty-armed Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī, gave ten thousand cows to the twice-born, and an equal number of gold coins.

1.213.63 From early childhood he became the beloved of Vāsudeva, and of all his fathers' hearts — as the moon is dear to all beings.

1.213.64 From his very birth, Kṛṣṇa performed all the auspicious rites for him, and the child grew like the moon in the bright fortnight.

1.213.65 That crusher of foes mastered from Arjuna — the knower of the Veda — the whole science of archery in its four sections and ten divisions, both divine and human.

1.213.66 In the theoretical knowledge of weapons, in graceful skill, and in all practical exercises as well, the mighty one surpassed even his teacher.

1.213.67 In both theory and practice he became almost Arjuna's equal, and Dhanaṃjaya rejoiced as he watched his son, Subhadrā's child.

1.213.68 Endowed with every bodily excellence, marked with every auspicious sign, irresistible, with the shoulders of a bull, and with gaping mouth like a serpent —

1.213.69 — with the pride of a lion, a mighty bowman, with the gait of a frenzied elephant, whose voice rumbled like a thundercloud or a drum, and whose face shone like the full moon —

1.213.70 — Arjuna beheld his son as equal to Kṛṣṇa in valor, prowess, form, and bearing, just as Maghavan (Indra) might behold such a one.

1.213.71 And the auspicious Pāñcālī too received from her five husbands five heroic, splendid sons, like five great mountains.

1.213.72 From Yudhiṣṭhira she bore Prativindhya; from Vṛkodara, Sutasoma; from Arjuna, Śrutakarmā; and from Nakula, Śatānīka.

1.213.73 And from Sahadeva she bore Śrutasena. These five great chariot-warriors did the Pāñcālī bring forth, as Aditi bore the Ādityas.

1.213.74 The Brahmins told Yudhiṣṭhira regarding that child: based on scripture, let his name be Prativindhya, for he is the equal of the Vindhya mountain in his knowledge of striking down enemies.

1.213.75 When a thousand soma oblations had been performed, she bore from Bhīmasena a mighty bowman as radiant as the sun and moon combined — and so he was called Sutasoma.

1.213.76 When the crowned one (Arjuna) had returned after accomplishing his celebrated great deeds, the news reached him: "A son is born to you" — and so that son was named Śrutakarmā.

1.213.77 Nakula, son of the Kurus, a delight of the Kuru line, who traced his lineage to the royal sage Śatānīka, gave his son the same name as that ancestor — one who would extend the family's glory.

1.213.78 Then Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) gave birth to a son by Sahadeva under the asterism presided over by the fire-god; hence they called him Śrutasena.

1.213.79 The sons of Draupadī, all renowned and devoted to one another's welfare, were born each a year apart, O king of kings.

1.213.80 Dhaumya performed for them in due order and in accordance with sacred rite the birth ceremonies, the tonsure, and the sacred thread investiture, O best of the Bhāratas.

1.213.81 Having completed their Vedic studies, those pure in conduct and observance then received from Arjuna all the science of archery — both divine and human.

1.213.82 Attended by sons comparable to divine offspring — broad-chested, of mighty strength — the Pāṇḍavas were filled with great joy, O tiger among kings.

1.214.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Dwelling at Indraprastha, they subdued other kings, acting under the command of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, son of Śaṃtanu.

1.214.2 Resorting to the king of righteousness — whose marks and deeds were all auspicious — all people lived happily, as embodied souls dwell at ease in their own bodies.

1.214.3 That bull of the Bhāratas honored dharma, desire, and wealth equally, cherishing them as three kinsmen equal to himself, like a man who truly has kin.

1.214.4 With dharma, wealth, and desire equally apportioned among embodied beings upon the earth, the king shone like a fourth among them.

1.214.5 The Vedas found in him their supreme student; the great sacrifices found their performer; the social orders found their auspicious protector — so they all gained that lord of men.

1.214.6 Prosperity had its foundation in him; wisdom had its refuge; all of righteousness found a kinsman in him — so it was with that ruler of the earth.

1.214.7 The king, together with his four brothers, shone all the more brilliantly — like a great sacrifice spread wide, enhanced by the recitation of the Vedas.

1.214.8 Dhaumya and the other Brahmins — foremost, equal to Bṛhaspati — surrounded and attended him, as the immortals attend Prajāpati.

1.214.9 With supreme delight in the king of righteousness — pure as the full moon — the people's eyes and hearts rested on him with equal contentment.

1.214.10 But the people did not rejoice in him merely by fate or feeling; whatever was pleasing to the mind, that he accomplished by deed.

1.214.11 Indeed, from the lips of that wise Pārtha — sweet of speech — there arose nothing improper, nothing false, no untruth, and nothing disagreeable.

1.214.12 For that best of the Bhāratas, blazing with supreme energy, delighted in striving for the welfare of all the world as if it were his own welfare.

1.214.13 Thus all the Pāṇḍavas, joyful and free of grief, dwelt there, striking fear into the rulers of the earth with their own blazing energy.

1.214.14 Then, after some days had passed, Bībhatsu (Arjuna) said to Kṛṣṇa: "The summer heat is upon us, Kṛṣṇa — let us go to the Yamunā."

1.214.15 "There, attended by our friends and companions, we shall sport awhile, O Madhusūdana, and return by evening — does this please you, O Janārdana?"

1.214.16 Vāsudeva said: O son of Kuntī's mother (i.e., Pārtha), this pleases me too — that we should sport at will in the water, attended by our friends and companions.

1.214.17 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having taken leave of Dharmarāja and obtained his permission, O descendant of Bharata, Pārtha and Govinda then set out together, attended by their friends.

1.214.18 Reaching the pleasure grove — excellent, adorned with diverse trees, furnished with buildings high and low, like the dwelling of Indra —

1.214.19 — and well-stocked with savory foods both solid and liquid, rich and precious, and adorned with garlands of every variety, befitting the Vṛṣṇi hero and Pārtha —

1.214.20 — they entered it, filled as it was with jewels of every sort, high and low, auspicious; and all the people made merry as they pleased, O descendant of Bharata.

1.214.21 Some women of Kṛṣṇa and Pārtha's retinue played in the forest, some in the water, some in the pavilions — each in the place and manner that pleased them.

1.214.22 Draupadī and Subhadrā, elated with joy, distributed to those women costly garments and ornaments of great value.

1.214.23 Some women, overjoyed, danced; others cried out in delight; others laughed; and still others drank the finest liquor.

1.214.24 Some wept there with emotion, while others struck one another playfully; still others whispered secrets among themselves.

1.214.25 The sound of flutes, lutes, and mṛdaṅga drums — all of pleasing tone — filled that abundantly thriving grove on every side.

1.214.26 While this was taking place, the delight of the Kurus and the joy of the Dāśārhas moved apart to a certain nearby spot of great beauty.

1.214.27 Having gone there, those two great souls — the two Kṛṣṇas, conquerors of enemy citadels — seated themselves, O king, upon splendid couches.

1.214.28 There Pārtha and Mādhava delighted themselves, recounting many past adventures and exploits and pleasures they had shared.

1.214.29 While the two sat there in joy, like the Aśvins in heaven, a brahmin then approached Vāsudeva and Dhanañjaya.

1.214.30 He was like a great sala tree in stature, shining like refined gold, tawny-complexioned with a tawny beard, perfectly proportioned in height and breadth.

1.214.31 He resembled the rising sun, clad in dark garments, wearing matted locks, with a face like a lotus petal, tawny-hued, blazing as if with inner fire.

1.214.32 When that radiant best-of-twice-born approached, Arjuna and Vāsudeva quickly rose and stood to receive him.

1.215.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: He spoke to Arjuna and to Vāsudeva of the Sātvata clan, those two heroes of the world standing near the Khāṇḍava forest.

1.215.2 "I am a brahmin who eats much; I always eat without limit. I beg of you, O Vārṣṇeya and Pārtha — grant me one single satisfaction."

1.215.3 Thus addressed, Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava said to him: "With what food shall you be satisfied? We shall procure that food for you."

1.215.4 Thus questioned, the blessed one then spoke to both those heroes who had asked what food should be obtained:

1.215.5 "I do not hunger for ordinary food — know me as Fire! The food that befits me — that you two shall give me."

1.215.6 "Indra constantly protects this forest of Khāṇḍava. I cannot burn it while it is protected by that great-souled one."

1.215.7 "His friend the serpent Takṣaka dwells here always, and on his account Indra the wielder of the vajra guards this forest together with his retinue."

1.215.8 "Many beings are protected there along with him. Wishing to burn it, I am unable to do so because of Śakra's power."

1.215.9 "Seeing me ablaze, he pours down torrents of cloud-water, and thus I cannot burn the desired forest, though I wish to consume it."

1.215.10 "With you two as helpers — masters of weapons — I can burn the Khāṇḍava forest. This is the food I have chosen."

1.215.11 "For you two, skilled in the best weapons, shall properly ward off those streams of water and block the creatures from escaping in every direction."

1.215.12 When thus addressed, Bībhatsu (Arjuna) replied to Jātaveda (Fire), who desired to burn the Khāṇḍava forest against the will of Śatakratu (Indra):

1.215.13 "I possess many excellent weapons, both divine and otherwise, with which I could fight even many wielders of the thunderbolt."

1.215.14 "But I have no bow, O blessed one, equal to the strength of my arms — one that could endure my speed and exertion in battle."

1.215.15 "I also need many inexhaustible arrows, for I shoot swiftly; no chariot is capable of carrying as many arrows as I desire."

1.215.16 "I would also want divine white horses swift as the wind, and a chariot that thunders like a cloud and blazes like the sun."

1.215.17 "Likewise, there is no weapon equal to the valor of Kṛṣṇa — one with which Mādhava could slay nagas and pisachas in battle."

1.215.18 "O blessed one, you should indicate the means for the task's success — the means by which I could ward off Indra as he pours rain over the great forest."

1.215.19 "What is to be done through manly valor — that we two shall do, O Fire! But the capable instruments, O blessed one, you should provide."

1.216.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed, the blessed one — Smoke-bannered Fire, the Oblation-eater — thought of Varuṇa, the guardian of the world, the sun-born god dwelling in the waters, the lord of the ocean, wishing to see him.

1.216.2 Knowing that thought, Varuṇa appeared before Fire. Smoke-bannered Fire, having duly honored the lord of the waters — the great lord, the fourth among the world-guardians — then spoke to him:

1.216.3 "That bow and those two quivers given to you by King Soma — hand them both over quickly, along with the chariot marked with a tawny emblem."

1.216.4 "For Pārtha shall accomplish a very great task with the Gāṇḍīva, and Vāsudeva with the discus. Let them be given for my sake." And Varuṇa replied to Fire: "I shall give them."

1.216.5 Then he brought forth that wondrous bow of great power, enhancer of fame and glory, invincible against all weapons, destroyer of all weapons, the great measure of all arms, the crusher of enemy armies —

1.216.6 — worth a hundred thousand ordinary bows, increaser of kingdoms, beautiful with many-colored markings, smooth and without blemish —

1.216.7 — honored by gods, danavas, and gandharvas through endless ages. He gave that jewel of a bow, the Gāṇḍīva, and also two inexhaustible great quivers.

1.216.8 And also a chariot yoked to divine horses, bearing the banner of the chief of monkeys, fitted with silver horses of the Gandharva breed, garlanded with gold, white as autumn clouds, equal to mind and wind in speed —

1.216.9 — equipped with every fitting accessory, unconquerable by gods and danavas, blazing with light, of great thunder, pleasing to all beings.

1.216.10 That chariot had been fashioned by Prajāpati the lord of the world, the earthly creator, through his own austerities — its form as indescribable as the sun's.

1.216.11 Mounting that chariot, the powerful Soma had once conquered the danavas — it resembled a mountain or cloud and blazed with glory.

1.216.12 Adorning that finest of chariots was a flagstaff of gold equal to Indra's weapon, auspicious, very beautiful, unsurpassed.

1.216.13 Upon it a divine monkey, bearing the marks of a lion and tiger, stationed as if roaring, blazed gloriously at the summit.

1.216.14 On the banner too were various great beings whose roar causes the consciousness of enemy armies to vanish.

1.216.15 Arjuna circumambulated that finest chariot adorned with many banners, going around it clockwise, and bowed to the gods.

1.216.16 Armored, bearing sword, with his leather wrist-guard bound on, Pārtha mounted the chariot as a man of good deeds mounts a celestial car.

1.216.17 And taking up that divine best-of-bows, the Gāṇḍīva fashioned long ago by Brahmā, Arjuna was filled with joy.

1.216.18 After bowing to Fire, the valiant one then took it up with full strength and strung the bow with its bowstring.

1.216.19 When that bowstring was drawn by the mighty Pāṇḍava, those who heard the twang were afflicted in their hearts.

1.216.20 Having obtained the chariot, the bow, and the two inexhaustible great quivers, the son of Kuntī was ready and delighted to render assistance.

1.216.21 Then Fire gave to Kṛṣṇa the discus with the thunderbolt-navel — the beloved fiery weapon — and Kṛṣṇa too became ready.

1.216.22 And Fire said to him: "With this, O Madhusūdana, you shall conquer even superhuman foes in battle — there is no doubt."

1.216.23 "With this you shall always be superior to humans and even gods in battle, to rakshasas, pisachas, daityas, and nagas — no doubt, O slayer of foremost enemies."

1.216.24 "Hurled again and again in battle by you, O Mādhava, against your enemies, it shall kill without obstruction and return to your hand in combat."

1.216.25 And Varuṇa gave him a mace that thundered like lightning, terrible, destroyer of daityas — Hari's (Viṣṇu's) mace named Kaumodaki.

1.216.26 Then Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava, delighted, equipped with weapons and fully armed, mounted on chariots with their banners, spoke to Fire:

1.216.27 "We are ready, O blessed one, to fight even all the gods and asuras together — how much more then against Indra alone who fights on behalf of the serpent!"

1.216.28 Arjuna said: "There is nothing in the three worlds that Janārdana the valiant Vārṣṇeya cannot conquer when releasing his discus and weapon in battle."

1.216.29 "Taking up the Gāṇḍīva bow and the two inexhaustible great quivers, I too am bold enough to conquer the worlds in battle, O Fire."

1.216.30 "Surround it on all sides with great blazing fire, O lord — blaze up this very day as you wish! We are ready to render assistance."

1.216.31 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by the descendant of Dāśārha and by Arjuna, the blessed one assumed his fiery form and began to burn the forest.

1.216.32 Surrounding it on all sides, the seven-tongued blazing fire then burned the Khāṇḍava in rage, presenting a sight like the end of an age.

1.216.33 Seizing and pervading that forest, O bull of the Bhāratas, roaring like thunder from clouds, he consumed all living beings.

1.216.34 As it burned, O Bhārata, the appearance of that forest blazed like the great-resplendent golden mountain Meru, king of peaks.

1.217.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Those two tigers among men, stationed on their chariots on both sides of the forest, caused great slaughter of the creatures in all directions.

1.217.2 Wherever creatures dwelling in the Khāṇḍava were seen fleeing, there those two heroes would rush to intercept them.

1.217.3 No gap was seen in their chariots because of their swift movement; those two supreme charioteers appeared as if whirling everywhere at once.

1.217.4 As the Khāṇḍava burned, thousands upon thousands of beings leaped up, uttering fearful cries in all ten directions.

1.217.5 Many had one part of their body burned; others were scorched all over; their eyes burst open; they fell apart and flew about, bereft of consciousness.

1.217.6 Some embraced their sons, others their fathers and mothers; unable to abandon them out of love, they perished together with them.

1.217.7 Others by the thousands leaped up with distorted appearances, reeling to and fro, and fell back into the fire again.

1.217.8 Creatures with wings, eyes, and feet burned, writhing on the ground, were seen here and there perishing.

1.217.9 In all the water pools as they were boiled away, O Bhārata, thousands of tortoises and fishes could be seen, their lives gone.

1.217.10 With their bodies blazing, the creatures in that forest appeared like fires with bodies, as their life-breath was extinguished.

1.217.11 Those that flew up, Pārtha cut into pieces with his arrows and cast them laughing into the blazing path of Fire.

1.217.12 Pierced in every limb by arrows, uttering great cries, they leaped upward with speed and fell back into the fire.

1.217.13 The shriek of those forest-dwellers being struck by arrows and being burned was heard like the churning of the ocean.

1.217.14 From Fire blazing with joy, great flames shot into the sky, causing immense alarm among the denizens of heaven.

1.217.15 Then all the great-souled celestials went for refuge to the king of the gods, thousand-eyed Purandara (Indra).

1.217.16 The gods said: "Why are all these beings burned by the path of Fire? Has the destruction of the worlds come, O lord of immortals?"

1.217.17 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing this, Vṛtra-slayer (Indra) personally surveyed the situation and then set out to liberate the Khāṇḍava, riding his horse Hari.

1.217.18 Covering the sky with a vast network of clouds of many forms, the wielder of the thunderbolt, lord of the gods, poured down rain.

1.217.19 Then thousand-eyed Indra, releasing streams as large as axles, hundreds of thousands of them, rained upon Fire and the Khāṇḍava.

1.217.20 But those streams, by the power of Jātaveda (Fire), dried up in mid-air before reaching him, not one of them reaching the fire.

1.217.21 Then Namuci-slayer (Indra), enraged, released abundant water and rained down again upon the intensely blazing fire.

1.217.22 The forest became terrible, with flames intertwined with streams, filled with smoke and lightning, resounding like thunder.

1.218.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As Indra poured down water, the Pāṇḍava Bībhatsu (Arjuna) counter-warded it with a shower of arrows, displaying his supreme weapons.

1.218.2 With arrows on every side the Pāṇḍava also covered all of Khāṇḍava, driving that rain-shower away from the forest.

1.218.3 No creature whatsoever was able to escape from there, as the birds were covered by the shafts discharged by Savyasācin.

1.218.4 But Takṣaka, the mighty king of serpents, was not there; while that forest burned, he was then at Kurukṣetra.

1.218.5 But Aśvasena, Takṣaka's powerful son, was there; he strove intensely to free himself from the fire.

1.218.6 Pressed hard by the arrows of Kuntī's son, he could not escape; his mother, the serpent-born one, swallowed him and drew him free.

1.218.7 His head was swallowed first, then his tail was being swallowed; the serpent-woman, eager for her son, moved swiftly upward.

1.218.8 With a sharp, broad-bladed arrow the Pāṇḍava severed her head as she was flying away; the lord of the gods saw her.

1.218.9 The wielder of the thunderbolt, wishing to free him, bewildered the Pāṇḍava at that moment with a storm of wind and rain; and Aśvasena escaped.

1.218.10 Seeing that dreadful illusion and having been tricked by the serpent, he cut the birds flying in the air into two and three pieces, O Bhārata.

1.218.11 Bībhatsu in his fury cursed that crooked-moving one, and Pāvaka and Vāsudeva too, saying: "May he be without refuge."

1.218.12 Then Jiṣṇu, enraged, filling the sky with sharp arrows, fought against the thousand-eyed one, remembering that deception.

1.218.13 The king of gods, seeing Phalguna inflamed with wrath, released his own blazing weapon, which spread across the entire sky.

1.218.14 Then a wind arose with a great roar, churning all the oceans, standing in the sky and producing clouds that poured forth torrents of water in tumult.

1.218.15 To counter that, Arjuna too, expert in response, released the supreme wind-weapon, duly consecrated with its mantra.

1.218.16 By that weapon the vigor and power of Indra's thunderbolt-clouds were destroyed; those torrents of water dried up, and the lightnings vanished.

1.218.17 In an instant the sky became calm, free of dust and darkness, characterized by a pleasant cool breeze, with the sun's orb restored to its natural state.

1.218.18 And the fire, which assumes many forms, rejoicing at having no more obstruction, blazed up with incomparable flames, filling the world with its roaring sounds.

1.218.19 Seeing the forest fire protected by the two Kṛṣṇas, the Suparṇa birds and other winged creatures, filled with pride, rose up into the sky.

1.218.20 Garuḍas, with wings, beaks, and talons like thunderbolts, wishing to strike, swooped down from the sky upon Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava.

1.218.21 Likewise masses of serpents, with flaming mouths, moved near the Pāṇḍava, pouring forth terrible venom.

1.218.22 Pārtha cut down those infuriated sky-dwellers with his arrows as he saw them; helplessly they fell into the blazing fire for the dissolution of their bodies.

1.218.23 Then gods together with gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, and serpents rose up, releasing an incomparable roar, seeking battle.

1.218.24 With arms raised bearing iron pellets, discuses, stones, and muskets, their strength swooning with rage, they sought to kill Kṛṣṇa and Pārtha.

1.218.25 As they approached and released a rain of weapons, Bībhatsu smashed their heads with his sharp arrows.

1.218.26 And Kṛṣṇa, of great brilliance, the slayer of foes, made great carnage among the hosts of Daityas and Dānavas with his discus.

1.218.27 Then others, pierced by arrows and driven by the force of the discus, the greatly powerful ones stood arrested as if having reached a shore.

1.218.28 Then Śakra, the great lord of the thirty gods, furiously enraged, mounting his white elephant, charged at both of them.

1.218.29 Swiftly seizing the thunderbolt, the slayer of asuras released the weapon and said to the gods: "These two are slain."

1.218.30 Then seeing the great thunderbolt raised by the lord of gods, all the gods each took up their own weapons.

1.218.31 King Yama seized the staff of Death; the lord of wealth his litter; Varuṇa his noose; and Śiva too his discus.

1.218.32 The two Aśvins took up blazing medicinal herbs; Dhata seized his bow, and Jaya likewise his mace.

1.218.33 The mighty Tvaṣṭā in his rage seized a mountain; Amshu seized a spear; and the god Mṛtyu seized an axe.

1.218.34 Taking up a terrible iron club, Aryaman too roamed about; and Mitra, taking up a discus edged with razors, stood ready.

1.218.35 Pusha, and Bhaga enraged, and Savitā, O lord of men, with bows and swords taken up, charged at Kṛṣṇa and Pārtha.

1.218.36 The Rudras and the Vasus, and the mighty Maruts, the Viśvedevas and the Sādhyas likewise, blazed with their own radiance.

1.218.37 These and many other gods, bearing various weapons, advanced against those two supreme beings, Kṛṣṇa and Pārtha, seeking to slay them.

1.218.38 In that great battle, wondrous omens became visible, resembling those at the end of an age, for the destruction of beings, O Bhārata.

1.218.39 Even so, seeing Śakra furious together with the gods, the two Achyutas stood fearless in battle, those invincible ones, with bows strung.

1.218.40 And seeing those gods come, the two of them, enraged, repelled them one by one with arrows resembling thunderbolts.

1.218.41 The gods, their resolve broken again and again, were made to flee repeatedly; from fear they abandoned the battle and took refuge with Śakra alone.

1.218.42 Seeing the gods repelled by Mādhava and Arjuna, the sages stationed in heaven there were filled with wonder.

1.218.43 And Śakra too, perceiving again and again their valor in battle, was supremely pleased, and yet again he fought against those two.

1.218.44 Then the chastiser of Pāka released a tremendous shower of stones, wishing again to test the valor of Savyasācin; Arjuna, exceedingly wrathful, countered that shower with his arrows.

1.218.45 Seeing that shower being made futile, the king of gods of a hundred sacrifices then greatly increased that shower again.

1.218.46 The son of the chastiser of Pāka with swift arrows then caused that shower of stones to dissolve, bringing joy to his father.

1.218.47 Then Śakra, wishing to kill the son of Pāṇḍu, uprooted with his own hands a great peak from Mount Mandara, trees and all, and hurled it.

1.218.48 Then Arjuna, with swift, straight-flying arrows with blazing tips, shattered the mountain peak into a thousand pieces.

1.218.49 The appearance of that crumbling mountain then shone like the sky breaking apart together with sun, moon, and planets.

1.218.50 By that great mountain falling down into the fire, the creatures dwelling in Khāṇḍava were again greatly slain there.

1.219.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus terrified by the fall of the mountain, the inhabitants of Khāṇḍava — danavas, rakshasas, nagas, hyenas, tree-dwellers of the forest, elephants in rut, tigers, lions, and maned lions —

1.219.2 Deer and buffaloes, and birds by the hundreds, fled in agitation, and so too did other kinds of beings.

1.219.3 Looking upon that conflagration and upon the two Kṛṣṇas with weapons raised, they seemed as if terrified by the sound of the crashing omens.

1.219.4 Janārdana released his discus blazing with its own radiance; with it all those petty creatures together with danavas and night-wanderers were cut down by the hundreds and in an instant fell into the fire.

1.219.5 The rakshasas there, cloven by Kṛṣṇa's discus and mingled with fat and blood, were like rain-clouds at twilight.

1.219.6 The descendant of the Vṛṣṇis roamed there slaying pisachas, birds, nagas, and beasts by the thousands, like Death itself, O Bhārata.

1.219.7 That discus of Kṛṣṇa, the slayer of foes, thrown again and again, returned to his hand again and again after slaying many creatures.

1.219.8 And as he slew all those creatures, O Bhārata, his form became exceedingly fierce — he who is the soul of all beings — at that time.

1.219.9 Of all the assembled gods and danavas together, not one became a conqueror of Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava in battle.

1.219.10 When the gods were unable to rescue that forest from the power of those two, nor to extinguish it, then they turned away.

1.219.11 And Śatakratu, seeing the hosts of gods turned away, stood still, pleased, praising Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava.

1.219.12 When the gods had withdrawn, a disembodied voice, deep and resonant, addressed Śatakratu, looking upon him.

1.219.13 "Your friend Takṣaka, best of serpents, is not present; at the time of Khāṇḍava's burning he has gone to Kurukṣetra."

1.219.14 "Nor can these two who stand arrayed in this battle be conquered by you — Vāsudeva and Arjuna, O Śakra; hear this word of mine."

1.219.15 "These two are the gods Nara and Nārāyaṇa, renowned in heaven; you yourself know how great their valor and how great their prowess."

1.219.16 "These two, difficult to assail, unconquered in battle, cannot be vanquished; they are ancient and best among sages in all the worlds."

1.219.17 "These two are most worthy of worship by all — gods and asuras together with yakshas, rakshasas, gandharvas, narakas, kinnaras, and serpents."

1.219.18 "Therefore, O Vāsava, you should depart from here together with the gods; regard also the destruction of Khāṇḍava as the decree of fate."

1.219.19 Having heard that speech, the lord of immortals acknowledged it as true; relinquishing his anger and resentment, he then set out for heaven.

1.219.20 Seeing that great-souled one depart, the heavenly beings, O king, swiftly followed Śatakratu together.

1.219.21 Seeing the king of gods then departing with the gods, the two heroes Vāsudeva and Arjuna roared with the roar of lions.

1.219.22 The king of gods having gone, O king, Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava, overjoyed, then caused the forest fire to burn again without restraint.

1.219.23 Like the wind destroying clouds, Arjuna, having driven off the gods, cut down with showers of arrows the living creatures dwelling in Khāṇḍava.

1.219.24 No creature whatsoever was able to escape from there as it was cut apart by the arrows discharged by Savyasācin.

1.219.25 The creatures there, even the great ones, could not look upon Arjuna, whose shafts never miss, in battle — much less could they do battle.

1.219.26 With one arrow he pierced a hundred, and a hundred with a single shaft; lifeless they fell into the fire, as if struck down by Death himself.

1.219.27 They found no shelter in embankments or in difficult terrain; even in the abodes of ancestors and gods distress arose.

1.219.28 Thousands upon thousands of creatures in their misery raised a great cry; elephants bellowed, and so too deer and birds; at that sound the fish dwelling in the Gaṅgā and the ocean trembled.

1.219.29 Indeed, no one was able even to look upon the mighty-armed Arjuna, nor upon the powerful Kṛṣṇa — much less to fight them.

1.219.30 Those who fled even along a single path, whoever escaped there — rakshasas, danavas, and nagas — Hari slew them with his discus.

1.219.31 Those great-bodied ones, their heads and bodies severed by the force of the discus, their lives gone, fell into the mouth of the blazing fire of golden seed.

1.219.32 Fanned by floods of flesh and blood and streams of fat, the fire blazing above in the sky appeared smokeless.

1.219.33 With blazing eyes, a blazing tongue, a blazing wide-open great mouth, blazing upright hair, and tawny eyes, he drank the marrow of living creatures.

1.219.34 Obtaining that nectar-feast made for him by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, the fire-god became joyful, satisfied, and attained supreme contentment.

1.219.35 Then Madhusūdana suddenly saw the asura named Maya fleeing in haste from the dwelling of Takṣaka.

1.219.36 The fire-god, wishing to burn him, with the wind as his charioteer, beseeched him, having taken on a bodily form with matted hair and roaring like a thundercloud; and Vāsudeva, wishing to kill him, stood with his discus raised.

1.219.37 Seeing the raised discus and the fire wishing to burn him, Maya cried out, "Run to Arjuna!" — thus, O Bhārata.

1.219.38 Hearing his frightened cry, Dhanañjaya replied to Maya, saying "Fear not" — Pārtha, as if granting him life, O Bhārata.

1.219.39 With Pārtha having granted him safety, the Dasharhaka did not wish to kill Maya, that brother of Namuci, and the fire did not burn him either.

1.219.40 While that forest burned, fire did not burn six beings: Aśvasena, Maya, and also the four Śārṅgakas.

1.220.1 Janamejaya said: Why did the fire not burn the Śārṅgakas when the forest was burning thus, O brahmin? Tell me this quickly.

1.220.2 For the reason for the non-burning of Aśvasena and the danava Maya has been told, O brahmin, but the reason for the Śārṅgakas has not been told.

1.220.3 This is indeed wondrous, O brahmin — the non-destruction of the Sharnagas. Recount it: how were they not destroyed in the conflagration of the fire?

1.220.4 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: For what reason the fire did not burn the Śārṅgakas as it burned, I shall tell you everything just as it happened, O Bhārata.

1.220.5 Foremost among those who know dharma, an ascetic of sharp vows, a great seer learned in scripture, known as Mandapāla — such was he.

1.220.6 He followed the path of sages who preserve their seed upward, O king — devoted to sacred recitation, intent on dharma, an ascetic with conquered senses.

1.220.7 Having reached the far shore of austerity and abandoning his body, O Bhārata, he went to the world of the ancestors but did not obtain the expected fruit there.

1.220.8 Seeing those worlds to be fruitless even though won by austerity, he asked the celestials standing near the king of dharma.

1.220.9 Why are these worlds of mine, earned by austerity, closed to me? What have I not done such that this is the fruit of my deeds?

1.220.10 I shall do there whatever it is for which this fruit is blocked. Tell me, O celestials.

1.220.11 The gods said: Men are born indebted, O brahmin — hear by what they discharge it: through ritual acts, through celibate study, and through offspring — there is no doubt.

1.220.12 All of it is discharged by sacrifice, by austerity, and by sons. You are an ascetic and a sacrificer, but you have no offspring.

1.220.13 Therefore these worlds of yours are closed for want of progeny. Beget children; then you shall enjoy eternal worlds.

1.220.14 "A son delivers the father from the hell named Put" — thus it is said, O sage. Therefore strive for the continuation of offspring, O best of twice-born.

1.220.15 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Hearing the words of those celestials, Mandapāla pondered: "Where can I quickly obtain abundant offspring?"

1.220.16 Reflecting thus, he approached the birds known for prolific reproduction; becoming a sharnaka bird himself, he came to Jaritā.

1.220.17 He begot four sons on her, versed in brahman. Abandoning them — those infant sons still within their eggs, along with their mother — the sage went off in that very forest to Lapitā.

1.220.18 After that great one had gone to Lapitā, O Bhārata, Jaritā, agitated by love for her children, pondered deeply.

1.220.19 Abandoned by him though undeserving of abandonment — those young seers still in their eggs in the forest — the distressed Jaritā did not forsake her little ones in Khāṇḍava, O king; she nurtured them as they were born, her heart overcome with love.

1.220.20 Then the sage Mandapāla, wandering in that forest with Lapitā, saw the fire coming to burn Khāṇḍava.

1.220.21 Understanding the fire's intention and knowing his infant sons were there, that brahmin sage, the seer Mandapāla, praised Jātaveda the mighty world-guardian with fear, entrusting his sons to him.

1.220.22 Mandapāla said: You are the mouth of all the gods, O fire; you are the carrier of oblations; you move secretly within all beings, O purifier.

1.220.23 The poets call you one; they also call you threefold. Having conceived you as eightfold, they ordained you as the vehicle of sacrifice.

1.220.24 The supreme seers declare this universe was created by you; for without you, O fire, the entire world could not exist for a moment.

1.220.25 Brahmins who bow to you attain the eternal destination won by their own deeds, together with their wives and children.

1.220.26 They call you, O fire, the cloud-givers suspended in the sky with lightning; the seasons that burn all beings issue forth from you.

1.220.27 O Jātaveda, O greatly radiant one, this creation of the universe is yours alone; all being — both moving and unmoving — is decreed by your action alone.

1.220.28 The waters were ordained by you from the beginning; in you all this world rests; in you oblations to the gods and offerings to the ancestors are properly established.

1.220.29 O fire, you yourself are the flaming one; you are Dhata; you are Bṛhaspati; you are the twin Aśvins; you are Yama; you are Mitra; you are Soma; and you are the wind.

1.220.30 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus praised by Mandapāla, the fire was pleased with that sage of boundless splendor, O king, and spoke to him with a gladdened heart: "What is your wish? What shall I do for you?"

1.220.31 Mandapāla, with joined palms, addressed the carrier of oblations: "While burning the Khāṇḍava forest, spare my sons."

1.220.32 Saying "So be it" and making that promise, the blessed fire-carrier blazed forth in Khāṇḍava at that time with the desire to burn.

1.221.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When the bright fire blazed, those Śārṅgakas were deeply grieved, tormented, and greatly distressed — they found no refuge.

1.221.2 Seeing her infant children, their ascetic mother Jaritā, scorched by grief, lamented, O lord of men.

1.221.3 "This fire, terrible and fearsome, burning the undergrowth, comes here, setting the world ablaze, the augmenter of my sorrow."

1.221.4 "These infants, slow of mind, without tail-feathers, lacking the use of their feet — our ancient refuge — torment me; and this fire comes licking the great trees, terrifying us."

1.221.5 "Because of their helplessness, my sons are not capable of fleeing; and I cannot flee elsewhere while carrying my children."

1.221.6 "Nor am I able to abandon them — my heart burns with pain. Which son shall I forsake? Taking which shall I go?"

1.221.7 "What would have been done being done — think, my little ones, how? Pondering your deliverance I find no way. Covering you with my body I shall die together with you."

1.221.8 "This lineage of Jaritāri is established by the eldest; Sarisrikva shall be born to increase the family of the ancestors."

1.221.9 "Stambamitra shall practice austerity; Droṇa shall be the supreme knower of brahman — saying thus, your father, pitiless one, departed long ago."

1.221.10 "Carrying which can one go? For whom would flight be best? What, if done, would the duty be done?" — distracted thus she thought.

1.221.11 She could not find by her own wit any deliverance for her sons from that fire. As she spoke thus, those Sharnagas then replied to their mother.

1.221.12 "Casting aside affection, O mother, fly to where the fire-carrier cannot reach. When we are gone you shall have other sons; but if you perish, O mother, there shall be no continuation of our lineage."

1.221.13 "Consider both sides — what would be best for our lineage. That is what ought to be done; this, O mother, should be your supreme moment of action."

1.221.14 "Do not make your affection for us the cause of the lineage's ruin. This deed of our father who desired the worlds shall not be in vain."

1.221.15 Jaritā said: Here in the earth near this tree is the burrow of a mouse. Enter it quickly — there is no fear of the fire for you here.

1.221.16 "Then I shall block the opening with dust, my little ones. Thus I think we may act against the blazing black-pathed fire."

1.221.17 "After the fire has passed I shall come back to scatter the mound of dust. Let this plan for your deliverance from the fire please you."

1.221.18 The Śārṅgakas said: The flesh-eating mouse would destroy us who are featherless and without tail-plumage. We cannot resort to this plan, seeing this danger before us.

1.221.19 "How might the fire not burn us? How might the mouse not devour us? How might our father not be in vain? How might our mother survive?"

1.221.20 "In the burrow destruction would come from the mouse; from the fire, for those who fly in the sky. Weighing both sides: burning is better than being devoured."

1.221.21 "Death by being eaten by the mouse in the burrow would be shameful for us. More desirable than the shameful is the abandonment of the body in the fire."

1.222.1 Jaritā said: A hawk flew out from this very burrow and carried off that mouse, that small creature, gripping it with its talons. There will be no danger from it now.

1.222.2 The Śārṅgakas said: We do not know in the least that the mouse was carried off by a hawk. And there may be others here — from them too we face danger.

1.222.3 "The fire may or may not come — we have seen the wind turn it back. But death for us from the burrow's inhabitants would be certain, O mother."

1.222.4 "A doubtful death is better than a certain one, O mother. Go as is proper through the sky — you shall obtain splendid sons."

1.222.5 Jaritā said: I myself saw the hawk coming, moving near the burrow; that powerful one seized the mouse and carried it off from the burrow.

1.222.6 "That hawk as it flew I quickly followed behind, conferring blessings on it as it carried the mouse away from the burrow."

1.222.7 "O king of hawks, you who dash away carrying our enemy — may you become golden, foe-free, ascending the sky."

1.222.8 "When it is devoured by that hungry bird, then, having taken leave of him, I shall return home."

1.222.9 "Enter the burrow, my sons, with confidence — there is no danger for you. The mouse was carried off by the hawk while I watched — there is no doubt."

1.222.10 The Śārṅgakas said: We do not know, O mother, whether the mouse was carried off from here before. Without knowing for certain we cannot enter the burrow.

1.222.11 Jaritā said: I know that the mouse was carried off by the hawk. Therefore there is no danger — do as I say.

1.222.12 The Śārṅgakas said: You should not seek to rescue us by false comfort. In turbulent knowledge great fear is not subdued by mere reasoning.

1.222.13 "Nor have we done you any service, nor do you truly know who we are. You sustain us while we afflict you — what woman of virtue are you, and who are we to you?"

1.222.14 "You are young and beautiful, capable of seeking a husband. Follow your own lord — you shall obtain splendid sons."

1.222.15 "We too, entering the fire, shall attain auspicious worlds. Or if the fire does not burn us, then come back to us again."

1.222.16 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Addressed thus, the sharnaga hen, abandoning her sons in Khāṇḍava, quickly departed to a safe place, a refuge from the fire.

1.222.17 Then the fire-carrier blazed with sharp flames and came to where those Sharnagas were — the little sons of Mandapāla.

1.222.18 Those Sharnagas, seeing the blazing fire blazing with its own splendor, — Jaritāri then caused the fire to hear his voice.

1.223.1 Jaritāri said: A wise man stays vigilant before a time of peril arrives; having thus foreseen the time of peril, he does not suffer anguish at any moment when it comes.

1.223.2 But the witless one who does not perceive the peril before it arrives — when the time of peril comes, he is overwhelmed with distress and cannot comprehend anything at all.

1.223.3 Sārisṛkva said: You are steadfast and intelligent; and this is indeed a crisis for our very lives. Truly, a single brave and wise man becomes the support of many — there is no doubt of this.

1.223.4 Stambamitra said: It is indeed the eldest who becomes the protector; the eldest rescues from danger. But if the eldest does not understand, what can the younger ones do?

1.223.5 Droṇa said: He of golden seed comes swiftly blazing toward our destruction; the seven-tongued fire, lean and licking with his flames, is creeping close upon us.

1.223.6 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by his brothers, Jaritāri praised Vibhāvasu, the fire, with joined palms. Hear how he did so, O king.

1.223.7 Jaritāri said: You are the very self of the wind; the wind is your body. You are the womb of all herbs and plants. O pure one, the waters too are your source; you are the womb of the waters.

1.223.8 Your flames, O greatly mighty one, rise upward and descend downward and spread out on every side — even as the rays of the sun.

1.223.9 Sārisṛkva said: Our mother has fled to our father; we do not know him. Our wings have not yet grown, O lotus-bannered one. There is no protector for us other than you, O Fire. Therefore do you alone guard us, O sole hero.

1.223.10 Whatever benign form you have, O Agni, and whatever are your seven weapons — with that protect us today, O praised one, for we seek your shelter.

1.223.11 You alone, O Jātavedas, are the one who blazes for austerity; no other scorcher is found among living beings, O divine one. Protect us who are sages and children. Pass beyond us, O carrier of oblations.

1.223.12 Stambamitra said: You alone are everything, O Agni; in you exists all this universe. You sustain all living beings; you uphold the entire world.

1.223.13 You are Agni the carrier of oblations; you yourself are also the supreme oblation. The wise ones worship you in many ways and also as a single unity.

1.223.14 Having created these three worlds, O carrier of oblations, when the time comes you blaze up and cook them again. You are the primal source of this entire universe; you, O Agni, again become its foundation.

1.223.15 You are the food consumed by all living beings; dwelling within them, O lord of the universe, you perpetually grow and digest it. In you everything is established.

1.223.16 Droṇa said: Becoming the sun with your rays, O Jātavedas, you draw up from the earth its waters and all the essences of what is born from the earth; then at the time of release, creating rain, you nourish all, O pure one.

1.223.17 From you, O pure one, these green-leafed plants are born anew; from you spring the lotus pools, the ocean, and the great sea.

1.223.18 This is indeed the abode and ultimate refuge of Varuṇa, O sharp-rayed one. Be our auspicious protector; do not destroy us today.

1.223.19 O tawny-eyed one, O red-throated one, O one whose path is black, O devourer of offerings — pass beyond us and release us, as one releases the dwellers of the ocean.

1.223.20 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by Droṇa of effortless deeds, Jātavedas, confident by virtue of Mandapāla's promise, spoke to Droṇa.

1.223.21 Fire said: You are truly the sage Droṇa; what you have spoken is the sacred word of Brahman itself. I shall do what you desire, and you need have no fear.

1.223.22 Indeed, you were presented to me beforehand by Mandapāla, who said: "Spare my little sons for my sake when burning the forest."

1.223.23 Both that word of his and what you have spoken here — both together weigh heavily with me. Tell me what I shall do for you. I am greatly pleased; good fortune to you, O brahmin, for your hymn, O lord.

1.223.24 Droṇa said: These cats, O pure one, ever torment us. Take them and their kin in your jaws, O carrier of oblations.

1.223.25 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The fire did as asked; having granted leave to the śārṅga birds, he blazed up and burned the Khāṇḍava forest, O Janamejaya.

1.224.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Mandapāla too, O descendant of Kuru, was thinking anxiously about his sons at that time; and though he had spoken to the fire himself, he was not without anguish.

1.224.2 Burning with worry for the sake of his sons, he said to Lapitā: "How are my little sons, who cannot yet fly, faring now?"

1.224.3 "With the oblation-carrier fire growing and the wind blowing swiftly, my children will be unable to escape."

1.224.4 "How will their wretched mother, unable to protect them, be seized with misery, seeing no means to save her sons?"

1.224.5 "How will she, burning with grief and crying out on all sides, run toward my children who are unable to flee or fly away?"

1.224.6 "How fares my son Jaritāri? How does Sārisṛkva fare? How does Stambamitra fare? How does Droṇa fare? And how does that wretched one fare?"

1.224.7 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: As the sage Mandapāla lamented thus in the forest, Lapitā replied to him with words that seemed to carry a note of jealousy, O Bhārata.

1.224.8 Lapitā said: You have no real concern for your sons. You yourself said to those sages: "They are full of energy and might; they have no fear from the fire."

1.224.9 Moreover, they were entrusted by you to the fire, and in my very presence the great-souled fire promised accordingly.

1.224.10 A guardian of the worlds can never speak an untruth under any circumstances. And your sons are capable of speaking for themselves. Your mind, however, is not with them.

1.224.11 It is that rival of mine that you are thinking of and tormenting yourself about. Surely you have no affection for me as you once had for her.

1.224.12 For it is not proper for one who has wings to watch indifferently while one who loves him suffers, especially when he has the power to help.

1.224.13 Go to Jaritā herself, for whom you are tormenting yourself. I too shall wander alone, as one does in the case of a coward.

1.224.14 Mandapāla said: I do not move about in the world as you imagine. I wander on account of my children — and that situation is fraught with difficulty for me.

1.224.15 The dull-witted one who abandons what is present to cling to what is merely future — the world would hold him in contempt. Do as you wish.

1.224.16 For this blazing fire, licking up the great trees, generates in my heart an inauspicious and hateful anguish.

1.224.17 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: After the fire had passed beyond that region, Jaritā, full of longing for her little ones, quickly rushed toward her children.

1.224.18 She found all of them safe and sound in the forest, freed from Jātavedas, and she saw her sons weeping piteously.

1.224.19 Finding their sight almost too wonderful to believe, she went to each of her crying sons one by one, again and again.

1.224.20 Then Mandapāla also came quickly, O Bhārata. But all his sons did not greet him with joy.

1.224.21 Though he lamented to each of them one by one and to Jaritā again and again, they did not speak a single word to that sage — neither kind nor harsh.

1.224.22 Mandapāla said: Which is your eldest son? Which comes after him? Which son is the middle one? And which is your youngest?

1.224.23 Why do you not respond to me as I speak in distress? I made a pact with the fire-eater; and yet I find no peace here.

1.224.24 Jaritā said: What business do you have with the eldest son? Or with the one who comes after him? What business do you have with the middle one, or with the youngest, you wretched man?

1.224.25 You who abandoned me utterly and went away before — go back to that young Lapitā with her lovely smile.

1.224.26 Mandapāla said: For women there is nothing at all besides another man. Rivalry between co-wives is inescapable — it must be so in the world.

1.224.27 Even the virtuous and beautiful Arundhatī, renowned throughout all the worlds, suspected Vasiṣṭha, the greatest of sages.

1.224.28 She despised that utterly pure-hearted sage, ever devoted to her welfare and benefit, that hero dwelling among the seven sages.

1.224.29 Through that suspicion, her radiance became like smoky red; she can be barely seen, dim and without her former beauty — she is perceived now only as a pale mark.

1.224.30 I came here for the sake of offspring, and so you too are now forsaking the beloved and acting in the same way.

1.224.31 A man should never place total trust in a wife, for a wife who is a true mother of sons does not think of a husband's duty.

1.224.32 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then all his sons attended upon him properly, and he began to comfort his children, O king.

1.225.1 Mandapāla said: For the sake of protecting you I petitioned the fire, and the fire promised accordingly — "So be it" — even before this.

1.225.2 Knowing the word of the fire, your mother's knowledge of dharma, and your own supreme valor, I did not come here sooner.

1.225.3 You should not grieve over death, my dear children. Even the fire knows the sages and the sacred knowledge of Brahman; and you too understand this.

1.225.4 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having thus comforted his sons and taking his wife with him, O Bhārata, Mandapāla departed from that place to another region.

1.225.5 The divine sharp-rayed fire also burned the blazing Khāṇḍava forest together with the two Kṛṣṇas, generating fearlessness for the world.

1.225.6 Drinking streams of fat and marrow flowing there, the purifying fire attained supreme satisfaction and revealed himself to Arjuna.

1.225.7 Then the lord of the gods, surrounded by the hosts of Maruts, descended from the sky and spoke these words to Pārtha and to Mādhava.

1.225.8 Indra said: You two have accomplished a feat difficult even for the immortals. Choose your boons — I am pleased; choose even those that are rare and beyond human reach.

1.225.9 Pārtha then chose from Śakra to receive all weapons in full; and Śakra set a proper time for granting them to him.

1.225.10 Indra said: When the divine Mahādeva shall be graciously disposed toward you, then I will grant you all the weapons of the Pāṇḍavas.

1.225.11 I myself will know that moment, O delight of the Kurus; and through great austerity I too shall grant those weapons to you.

1.225.12 All the weapons of Agni, all those of Vāyu as well, and all those that are mine — all of these you shall receive, O Dhanañjaya.

1.225.13 Vāsudeva also obtained eternal friendship with Pārtha; and the lord of gods, greatly pleased, granted him that boon at that time.

1.225.14 Having joyfully granted the boon to both of them, the lord of the Maruts, together with the gods, took leave of the fire and returned to the triple heaven.

1.225.15 The fire too, having burned that forest along with its animals and birds, rested for five days and one more, fully satisfied.

1.225.16 Having devoured the flesh and drunk the fat and blood, filled with supreme delight, he spoke to those two, O lord of the people.

1.225.17 Fire said: By the two of you, foremost among men, I have been satisfied to my full contentment. I grant you leave, O heroes; go wherever you desire.

1.225.18 Thus were those two — Arjuna and Vāsudeva — granted leave by the great-souled fire, as was the demon Maya.

1.225.19 Then all three of them, O bull of the Bhāratas, having circumambulated the fire, sat down together on the pleasant bank of the river.