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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 2 by Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

T >> Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 2




"Yudhishthira said, 'O Dhananjaya, by fortune it is that the weapons
have been obtained by thee; by fortune it is that the master of the
immortals hath been adored by thee. O repressor of foes, by fortune it
is that the divine _Sthanu_ together with the goddess had become
manifest unto thee and been gratified by thee in battle, O sinless one;
by fortune it is that thou hadst met with the Lokapalas, O best of the
Bharatas. O Partha, by fortune it is that we have prospered; and by
fortune it is that thou hast come back. To-day I consider as if the
entire earth engarlanded with cities hath already been conquered, and as
if the sons of Dhritarashtra have already been subdued. Now, O Bharata,
I am curious to behold those celestial weapons wherewith thou hadst
slain the powerful _Nivata-Kavachas_.'

"Thereat Arjuna said, 'Tomorrow in the morning thou wilt see all the
celestial weapons with which I slew the fierce _Nivata-Kavachas_.'"

Vaisampayana said, "Thus having related (the facts touching) the
arrival, Dhananjaya passed that night there, together with all his
brothers."


SECTION CLXXIV

Vaisampayana continued, "And when the night had passed, Yudhishthira the
just, arose and together with his brothers, performed the necessary
duties. He then spake unto Arjuna, that delight of his mother, saying,
'O Kaunteya, do thou show (me) those weapons with which thou vanquished
the _Danavas_.' Thereat, O king, the exceedingly powerful Dhananjaya,
the son of Pandu, duly practising extreme purity, showed those weapons,
O Bharata, which had been given unto him by the celestials. Dhananjaya
seated on the earth, as his chariot, which had the mountain for its
pole, the base of the axle and the cluster of beautiful-looking bamboo
trees for its socket-pole, looked resplendent with that celestial armour
of great lustre, took his bow _Gandiva_ and the conch-shell given to him
by the gods, commenced to exhibit those celestial weapons in order. And
as those celestial weapons had been set, the Earth being oppressed with
the feet (of Arjuna), began to tremble with (its) trees; and the rivers
and the mighty main became vexed; and the rocks were riven; and the air
was hushed. And the sun did not shine; and fire did not flame; and by no
means did the Vedas of the twice-born once shine. And, O Janamejaya, the
creatures peopling the interior of the earth, on being afflicted, rose
and surrounded the Pandava, trembling with joined hands and contorted
countenances. And being burnt by those weapons, they besought Dhananjaya
(for their lives). Then the _Brahmarshis_, and the _Siddhas_, and the
_Maharshis_ and the mobile beings--all these appeared (on the scene).
And the foremost _Devarshis_, and the celestials and the _Yakshas_ and
the _Rakshasas_ and the _Gandharvas_ and the feathered tribes and the
(other) sky-ranging beings--all these appeared (on the scene). And the
Great-sire and all the Lokapalas and the divine Mahadeva, came thither,
together with their followers. Then, O great king, bearing unearthly
variegated blossoms _Vayu_ (the Wind-god) fell to strewing them around
the Pandava. And sent by the celestials, the _Gandharvas_ chanted
various ballads; and, O monarch, hosts of the _Apsaras_ danced (there).
At such a moment, O king, sent by the celestials, Narada arrived (there)
and addressed Partha in these sweet words, 'O Arjuna, Arjuna, do thou
not discharge the celestial weapons. These should never be discharged
when there is no object (fit). And when there is an object (present),
they should also by no means be hurled, unless one is sore pressed; for,
O son of the Kurus, to discharge the weapons (without occasion), is
fraught with great evil. And, O Dhananjaya, being duly kept as thou hast
been instructed to these powerful weapons will doubtless conduce to thy
strength and happiness. But if they are not properly kept, they, O
Pandava, will become the instrument for the destruction of the three
worlds. So thou shouldst not act in this way again. O Ajatasatru, thou
too wilt behold even these weapons, when Partha will use them for
grinding (thy) enemies in battle.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Having prevented Partha the immortals with
others that had come there, went to each his place, O foremost of men.
And, O Kaurava, after they had all gone, the Pandavas began to dwell
pleasantly in the same forest, together with Krishna."


SECTION CLXXV

Janamejaya said, "When that prime among heroes, having been accomplished
in arms, had returned from the abode of the slayer of Vritra, what did
Pritha's sons do in company with the warlike Dhananjaya?"

Vaisampayana said, "In company with that hero equal unto Indra,
Arjuna--that foremost of men, sported in the pleasure-gardens of the
lord of treasures (situated) in those woods on that romantic and
excellent mountain. And surveying those peerless and various
pleasure-grounds filled with diverse trees, that chief of men, _Kiriti_,
ever intent upon arms, ranged at large, bow in hand. And having through
the grace of king Vaisravana obtained a residence, those sons of a
sovereign cared not for the prosperity of men. And, O king, that period
of their (lives) passed peacefully. And having Partha in their company,
they spent four years there even like a single night. And as the
Pandavas lived in the wood, (these four years) and the former six,
numbering ten, passed smoothly with them.

"Then having seated themselves before the king, the vehement son of the
Wind-god, with _Jishnu_ and the heroic twins, like unto the lord of the
celestials, earnestly addressed the king in these beneficial and
pleasant words. 'It is only to render thy promise effectual and to
advance thy interests, that, O king of the Kurus, forsaking the forest,
we do not go to slay Suyodhana together with all his followers. Although
deserving of happiness, yet have we been deprived of happiness. And this
is the eleventh year that (in this state) we have been living (in the
forest). And hereafter, deluding that one of evil mind and character,
shall we easily live out the period of non-discovery. And at thy
mandate, O monarch, free from apprehension, we have been ranging the
woods, having relinquished our honour. Having been tempted by our
residence in the vicinity, they (our enemies) will not believe that we
have removed to a distant realm. And after having lived there
undiscovered for a year, and having wreaked our revenge on that wicked
wight, Suyodhana, with his followers, we shall easily root out that
meanest of men, slaying him and regaining our kingdom. Therefore, O
Dharmaraja, do thou descend unto the earth. For, O king, if we dwell in
this region like unto heaven itself, we shall forget our sorrows. In
that case, O Bharata, thy fame like, unto a fragrant flower shall vanish
from the mobile and the immobile worlds. By gaining that kingdom of the
Kuru chiefs, thou wilt be able to attain (great glory), and to perform
various sacrifices. This that thou art receiving from _Kuvera_, thou
wilt, O foremost of men, be able to attain any time. Now, O Bharata,
turn thy mind towards the punishment and destruction of foes that
committed wrongs. O king, the wielder of the thunderbolt himself is
incapable of standing thy prowess. And intent upon thy welfare, he,
having _Suparna_ for his mark (Krishna), and also the grandson of Sini
(Satyaki) never experience pain, even when engaged in encounter with the
gods, O Dharmaraja. And Arjuna is peerless in strength, and so am I too,
O best of kings. And as Krishna together with the Yadavas is intent upon
thy welfare, so am I also, O foremost of monarchs, and the heroic twins
accomplished in war. And encountering the enemy, we, having for our main
object the attainment by thee of wealth and prosperity, will destroy
them.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Then having learnt that intention of theirs,
the magnanimous and excellent son of Dharma, versed in religion and
profit, and of immeasurable prowess, went round Vaisravana's abode. And
Yudhishthira the just, after bidding adieu unto the palaces, the rivers,
the lakes, and all the _Rakshasas_, looked towards the way by which (he)
had come (there). And then looking at the mountain also, the high-souled
and pure-minded one besought that best of mountains, saying, 'O foremost
of mountains, may I together with my friends, after having finished my
task, and slain my foes, and regained my kingdom, see thee again,
carrying on austerities with subdued soul.' And this also he determined
on. And in company with his younger brothers and the _Brahmanas_, the
lord of the Kurus proceeded even along that very road. And Ghatotkacha
with his followers began to carry them over the mountain cascades. And
as they started, the great sage _Lomasa_, advising them even as a father
doth his son, with a cheerful heart, went unto the sacred abode of the
dwellers of heaven. Then advised also by Arshtishena, those first of
men, the Parthas, went alone beholding romantic _tirthas_ and
hermitages, and other mighty lakes."


SECTION CLXXVI

Vaisampayana said, "When they had left their happy home in the beautiful
mountain abounding in cascades, and having birds, and the elephants of
the eight quarters, and the supernatural attendants of _Kuvera_ (as
dwellers thereof), all happiness forsook those foremost of men of
Bharata's race. But afterwards on beholding _Kuvera's_ favourite
mountain, _Kailasa_, appearing like clouds, the delight of those
pre-eminent heroes of the race of Bharata, became very great. And those
foremost of heroic men, equipped with scimitars and bows, proceeded
contentedly, beholding elevations and defiles, and dens of lions and
craggy causeways and innumerable water-falls and lowlands, in different
places, as also other great forests inhabited by countless deer and
birds and elephants. And they came upon beautiful woodlands and rivers
and lakes and caves and mountain caverns; and these frequently by day
and night became the dwelling place of those great men. And having dwelt
in all sorts of inaccessible places and crossing _Kailasa_ of
inconceivable grandeur, they reached the excellent and surpassingly
beautiful hermitage of _Vrishaparba_. And meeting king Vrishaparba and
received by him being they became free from depression and then they
accurately narrated in detail to Vrishaparba the story of their sojourn
in the mountains. And having pleasantly passed one night in his sacred
abode frequented by gods and _Maharshis_, those great warriors proceeded
smoothly towards the jujube tree called Visala and took up their
quarters there. Then all those magnanimous men having reached the place
of Narayana, continued to live there, bereft of all sorrow, at beholding
_Kuvera's_ favourite lake, frequented by gods and _Siddhas_. And viewing
that lake, those foremost of men, the sons of Pandu traversed that
place, renouncing all grief even as immaculate _Brahmana rishis_ (do) on
attaining a habitation in the _Nandana_ gardens. Then all those warriors
having in due course happily lived at Badari for one month, proceeded
towards the realm of Suvahu, king of the _Kiratas_, by following the
same track by which they had come. And crossing the difficult Himalayan
regions, and the countries of China, Tukhara, Darada and all the climes
of Kulinda, rich in heaps of jewels, those warlike men reached the
capital of Suvahu. And hearing that those sons and grandsons of kings
had all reached his kingdom, Suvahu, elated with joy, advanced (to meet
them). Then the best of the Kurus welcomed him also. And meeting king
Suvahu, and being joined by all their charioteers with Visoka at their
head and by their attendants, Indrasena and others, and also by the
superintendents and servants of the kitchen, they stayed there
comfortably for one night. Then taking all the chariots and chariot-men
and dismissing Ghatotkacha together with his followers, they next
repaired to the monarch of mountains in the vicinity of the _Yamuna_. In
the midst of the mountain abounding in waterfalls and having grey and
orange-coloured slopes and summits covered with a sheet of snow, those
warlike men having then found the great forest of Visakhayupa like unto
the forest of Chitraratha and inhabited by wild boars and various kinds
of deer and birds, made it their home. Addicted to hunting as their
chief occupation, the sons of Pritha peacefully dwelt in that forest for
one year. There in a cavern of the mountain, Vrikodara, with a heart
afflicted with distraction and grief, came across a snake of huge
strength distressed with hunger and looking fierce like death itself. At
this crisis Yudhishthira, the best of pious men, became the protector of
Vrikodara and he, of infinite puissance, extricated Bhima whose whole
body had been fast gripped by the snake with its folds. And the twelfth
year of their sojourn in forests having arrived, those scions of the
race of Kuru, blazing in effulgence, and engaged in asceticism, always
devoted principally to the practice of archery, repaired cheerfully from
that Chitraratha-like forest to the borders of the desert, and desirous
of dwelling by the _Saraswati_ they went there, and from the banks of
that river they reached the lake of _Dwaitabana_. Then seeing them enter
_Dwaitabana_, the dwellers of that place engaged in asceticism,
religious ordinances, and self-restraining exercises and in deep and
devout meditation and subsisting on things ground with stone (for want
of teeth) having procured grass-mats and water-vessels, advanced to meet
them. The holy fig, the rudaraksha, the rohitaka, the cane and the
jujube, the catechu, the sirisha, the bel and the inguda and the karira
and pilu and sami trees grew on the banks of the _Saraswati_. Wandering
about with contentment in (the vicinity of) the _Saraswati_ which was,
as it were, the home of the celestials, and the favourite (resort) of
_Yakshas_ and _Gandharvas_ and _Maharshis_, those sons of kings lived
there in happiness."


SECTION CLXXVII

Janamejaya said, "How was it, O sage! that Bhima, of mighty prowess and
possessing the strength of ten thousand elephants, was stricken with
panic at (the sight of) that snake? Thou hast described him, that slayer
of his enemies, as dismayed and appalled with fear, even him, who by
fighting at the lotus lake (of Kuvera) became the destroyer of _Yakshas_
and _Rakshasas_ and who, in proud defiance, invited to a single combat,
Pulastya's son, the dispenser of all riches. I desire to hear this (from
you); great indeed is my curiosity."

Vaisampayana continued, "O king, having reached king Vrishaparva's
hermitage, while those fearful warriors were living in various wonderful
woods, Vrikodara roaming at pleasure, with bow in hand and armed with a
scimitar, found that beautiful forest, frequented by gods and
_Gandharvas_. And then he beheld (some) lovely spots in the Himalayan
mountains, frequented by _Devarshis_ and _Siddhas_ and inhabited by
hosts of _Apsaras_, resounded here and there with (the warbling of)
birds--the _chakora_, the _chakrabaka_, the _jibajibaka_ and the cuckoo
and the _Bhringaraja_, and abounding with shady trees, soft with the
touch of snow and pleasing to the eye and mind, and bearing perennial
fruits and flowers. And he beheld mountain streams with waters
glistening like the _lapis lazuli_ and with ten thousand snow-white
ducks and swans and with forests of _deodar_ trees forming (as it were)
a trap for the clouds; and with _tugna_ and _kalikaya_ forests,
interspersed with yellow sandal trees. And he of mighty strength, in the
pursuit of the chase, roamed in the level and desert tracts of the
mountain, piercing his game with unpoisoned arrows. In that forest the
famous and mighty Bhimasena, possessing the strength of a hundred
elephants, killed (many) large wild boars, with the force (of his arms).
And endowed with terrible prowess and mighty strength, and powerful as
the lion or the tiger, and capable of resisting a hundred men, and
having long arms, and possessing the strength of a hundred elephants, he
killed many antelopes and wild boars and buffaloes. And here and there,
in that forest he pulled out trees by the roots, with great violence and
broke them too, causing the earth and the woods and the (surrounding)
places to resound. And then shouting and trampling on the tops of
mountains, and causing the earth to resound with his roars, and striking
his arms, and uttering his war-cry, and slapping and clapping his hands,
Bhimasena, exempt from decay, and ever-proud and without fear, again and
again leaped about in those woods. And on hearing the shouts of
Bhimasena, powerful lions and elephants of huge strength, left their
lairs in fright. And in that same forest, he fearlessly strolled about
in search of game; and like the denizens of the woods, that most valiant
of men, the mighty Bhimasena, wandered on foot in that forest. And he
penetrated the vast forest, shouting strange whoops, and terrifying all
creatures, endowed with strength and prowess. And then being terrified,
the snakes hid (themselves) in caves, but he, overtaking them with
promptitude, pursued them slowly. Then the mighty Bhimasena, like unto
the Lord of the Celestials, saw a serpent of colossal proportions,
living in one of the mountain fastnesses and covering the (entire) cave
with its body and causing one's hair to stand on end (from fright). It
had its huge body stretched like a hillock, and it possessed gigantic
strength, and its body was speckled with spots and it had a
turmeric-like (yellow) colour and a deep copper-coloured mouth of the
form of a cave supplied with four teeth; and with glaring eyes, it was
constantly licking the corners of its mouth. And it was the terror of
all animated beings and it looked like the very image of the Destroyer
Yama; and with the hissing noise of its breath it lay as if rebuking (an
in-comer). And seeing Bhima draw so near to him, the serpent, all on a
sudden, became greatly enraged, and that goat-devouring snake violently
seized Bhimasena in his grip. Then by virtue of the boon that had been
received by the serpent, Bhimasena with his body in the serpent's grip,
instantly lost all consciousness. Unrivalled by that of others, the
might of Bhimasena's arms equaled the might of ten thousand elephants
combined. But Bhima, of great prowess, being thus vanquished by the
snake, trembled slowly, and was unable to exert himself. And that one of
mighty arms and of leonine shoulders, though possessed of strength often
thousand elephants, yet seized by the snake, and overpowered by virtue
of the boon, lost all strength. He struggled furiously to extricate
himself, but did not succeed in any wise baffling this (snake)."


SECTION CLXXVIII

Vaisampayana continued, "And the powerful Bhimasena, having thus come
under the power of the snake, thought of its mighty and wonderful
prowess; and said unto it, 'Be thou pleased to tell me, O snake, who
thou art. And, O foremost of reptiles, what wilt thou do with me? I am
Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, and next by birth to Yudhishthira the just.
And endued as I am with the strength of ten thousand elephants, how hast
thou been able to overpower me? In fight have been encountered and slain
by me innumerable lions, and tigers, and buffaloes, and elephants. And,
O best of serpents, mighty _Rakshasas_ and _Pisachas_, and _Nagas_, are
unable to stand the force of my arms. Art thou possessed of any magic,
or hast thou received any boon, that although exerting myself, I have
been overcome by thee? Now I have been convinced that the strength of
men is false, for, O serpent, by thee hath such mighty strength of men
been baffled.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "When the heroic Bhima of noble deed had said
this, the snake caught him, and coiled him all round with his body,
having thus subdued that mighty-aimed one, and freed his plump arms
alone, the serpent spake these words, 'By good fortune it is that,
myself being hungry, after long time the gods have to-day destined thee
for my food; for life is dear unto every embodied being, I should relate
unto thee the way in which I have come by this snake form. Hear, O best
of the pious, I have fallen into this plight on account of the wrath of
the _Maharshis_. Now desirous of getting rid of the curse, I will
narrate unto thee all about it. Thou hast, no doubt, heard of the royal
sage, _Nahusha_. He was the son of Ayu, and the perpetuator of the line
of thy ancestors. Even I am that one. For having affronted the
_Brahmanas_ I, by (virtue of) Agastya's malediction, have come by this
condition. Thou art my agnate, and lovely to behold.--so thou shouldst
not be slain by me,--yet I shall to-day devour thee! Do thou behold the
dispensation of Destiny! And be it a buffalo, or an elephant, none
coming within my reach at the sixth division of the day, can, O best of
men, escape. And, O best of the Kurus, thou hast not been taken by an
animal of the lower order, having strength alone,--but this (hath been
so) by reason only of the boon I have received. As I was falling rapidly
from Sakra's throne placed on the front of his palace, I spake unto that
worshipful sage (Agastya), "Do thou free me from this curse." Thereat
filled with compassion, that energetic one said unto me, "O king, thou
shall be freed after the lapse of some time." Then I fell to the earth
(as a snake); but my recollection (of former life) did not renounce me.
And although it be so ancient, I still recollect all that was said. And
the sage said unto me, "That person who conversant with the relation
subsisting between the soul and the Supreme Being, shall be able to
answer the questions put by thee, shall deliver thee. And, O king, taken
by thee, strong beings superior to thee, shall immediately lose their
strength." I heard these words of those compassionate ones, who felt
attached unto me. And then the Brahmanas vanished. Thus, O highly
effulgent one, having become a serpent, I, doing exceedingly sinful
acts, live in unclean hell, in expectation of the (appointed) time.' The
mighty-armed Bhimasena addressed the serpent, saying, 'I am not angry, O
mighty snake,--nor do I blame myself. Since in regard to happiness and
misery, men sometimes possess the power of bringing and dismissing them,
and sometimes do not. Therefore one should not fret one's mind. Who can
baffle destiny by self-exertion? I deem destiny to be supreme, and
self-exertion to be of no avail. Smitten with the stroke of destiny, the
prowess of my arms lost, behold me to-day fallen unto this condition
without palpable cause. But to-day I do not so much grieve for my own
self being slain, as I do for my brothers deprived of their kingdom, and
exiled into the forest. This Himalaya is inaccessible, and abounds with
_Yakshas_ and the _Rakshasas_. And searching about for me, they will be
distracted. And hearing that I have been killed, (my brothers) will
forego all exertion, for, firm in promise, they have hitherto been
controlled by my harsh speech, I being desirous of gaining the kingdom.
Or the intelligent Arjuna (alone), being versed in every lore, and
incapable of being overcome by gods and _Rakshasas_ and _Gandharvas_,
will not be afflicted with grief. That mighty-armed and exceedingly
powerful one is able single-handed to speedily pull down from his place
even the celestials. What shall I say of the deceitfully gambling son of
Dhritarashtra, detested of all men, and filled with haughtiness and
ignorance! And I also grieve for my poor mother, affectionate to her
sons, who is ever solicitous for our greatness in a large measure than
is attained by our enemies. O serpent, the desire that forlorn one had
in me will all be fruitless in consequence of my destruction. And gifted
with manliness, the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, following their elder
brother (me), and always protected by the strength of my arms, will,
owing to my destruction, be depressed and deprived of their prowess, and
stricken with grief. This is what I think.' In this way Vrikodara
lamented profusely. And being bound by the body of the snake, he could
not exert himself.

"On the other hand, Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, (seeing) and reflecting
on dreadful ill omens, became alarmed. Terrified by the blaze of the
points of the horizon, jackals stationing themselves on the right of
that hermitage, set up frightful and inauspicious yells. And ugly
_Vartikas_ as of dreadful sight, having one wing, one eye, and one leg,
were seen to vomit blood, facing the sun. And the wind began to blow
dryly, and violently, attracting grits. And to the right all the beasts
and birds began to cry. And in the rear the black crows cried, 'Go!'
'Go!' And momentarily his (Yudhishthira's) right arm began to twitch,
and his chest and left leg shook (of themselves). And indicating evil
his left eye contracted spasmodically. Thereupon, O Bharata, the
intelligent Yudhishthira the just, inferring some great calamity (to be
imminent), asked Draupadi, saying, 'Where is Bhima?' Thereat Panchali
said that Vrikodara had long gone out. Hearing this, that mighty-armed
king set out with Dhaumya, after having said unto Dhananjaya, 'Thou
shouldst protect Draupadi.' And he also directed Nakula and Sahadeva to
protect the _Brahmanas_. And issuing from the hermitage that lord,
Kunti's son, following the footprints of Bhimasena, began to search for
him in that mighty forest. And on coming to the east, he found mighty
leaders of elephant-herds (slain) and saw the earth marked with Bhima's
(foot-prints). Then seeing thousands of deer and hundreds of lions lying
in the forest, the king ascertained his course. And on the way were
scattered trees pulled down by the wind caused by the thighs of that
hero endued with the speed of the wind as he rushed after the deer. And
proceeding, guided by those marks, to a spot filled with dry winds and
abounding in leafless vegetables, brackish and devoid of water, covered
with thorny plants and scattered over with gravel, stumps and shrubs and
difficult of access and uneven and dangerous, he saw in a mountain
cavern his younger brother motionless, caught in the folds of that
foremost of snakes."