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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





SECTION CLXXIX

Vaisampayana continued, "Yudhishthira, finding his beloved brother
coiled by the body of the serpent, said these words: 'O son of Kunti,
how hast thou come by this misfortune! And who is this best of serpents
having a body like unto a mountain mass?' Bhimasena said, 'O worshipful
one, this mighty being hath caught me for food. He is the royal sage
Nahusha living in the form of a serpent.' Yudhishthira said, 'O
longlived one, do thou free my brother of immeasurable prowess; we will
give thee some other food which will appease thy hunger.' The serpent
said, 'I have got for diet even this son of a king, come to my mouth of
himself. Do thou go away. Thou shouldst not stay here. (If thou
remainest here) thou too shall be my fare to-morrow. O mighty-armed one,
this is ordained in respect of me, that he that cometh unto my place,
becometh my food and thou too art in my quarter. After a long time have
I got thy younger brother as my food; I will not let him off; neither do
I like to have any other food.' Thereat Yudhishthira said, 'O serpent,
whether thou art a god, or a demon, or an _Uraga_, do thou tell me
truly, it is Yudhishthira that asketh thee, wherefore, O snake, hast
thou taken Bhimasena? By obtaining which, or by knowing what wilt thou
receive satisfaction, O snake, and what food shall I give thee? And how
mayst thou free him.' The serpent said, 'O sinless one, I was thy
ancestor, the son of Ayu and fifth in descent from the Moon. And I was a
king celebrated under the name of Nahusha. And by sacrifices and
asceticism and study of the Vedas and self-restraint and prowess I had
acquired a permanent dominion over the three worlds. And when I had
obtained such dominion, haughtiness possessed me. And thousands of
_Brahmanas_ were engaged in carrying my chair. And intoxicated by
supremacy, I insulted those _Brahmanas_. And, O lord of the earth, by
Agastya have I been reduced to this pass! Yet, O Pandava, to this day
the memory (of my former birth) hath not forsaken me! And, O king, even
by the favour of that high-souled Agastya, during the sixth division of
the day have I got for meal thy younger brother. Neither will I set him
free, nor do I wish for any other food. But if to-day thou answerest the
questions put by me, then, I shall deliver Vrikodara!' At this
Yudhishthira said, 'O serpent, ask whatever thou listest! I shall, if I
can, answer thy questions with the view of gratifying thee, O snake!
Thou knowest fully what should be known by _Brahmanas_. Therefore, O
king of snakes, hearing (thee) I shall answer thy queries!'

"The serpent said, 'O Yudhishthira, say--Who is a _Brahmana_ and what
should be known? By thy speech I infer thee to be highly intelligent.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'O foremost of serpents, he, it is asserted by the
wise, in whom are seen truth, charity, forgiveness, good conduct,
benevolence, observance of the rites of his order and mercy is a
_Brahmana_. And, O serpent, that which should be known is even the
supreme _Brahma_, in which is neither happiness nor misery--and
attaining which beings are not affected with misery; what is thy
opinion?'

"The serpent said, 'O Yudhishthira, truth, charity, forgiveness,
benevolence, benignity, kindness and the _Veda_[2] which worketh the
benefit of the four orders, which is the authority in matters of
religion and which is true, are seen even in the _Sudra_. As regards the
object to be known and which thou allegest is without both happiness and
misery, I do not see any such that is devoid of these.'

[2] In as much as the rites performed by the Sudras have their
origin in the Vedas.

"Yudhishthira said, 'Those characteristics that are present in a
_Sudra_, do not exist in a _Brahmana_; nor do those that are in a
_Brahmana_ exist in a _Sudra_. And a _Sudra_ is not a _Sudra_ by birth
alone--nor a _Brahmana_ is _Brahmana_ by birth alone. He, it is said by
the wise, in whom are seen those virtues is a _Brahmana_. And people
term him a Sudra in whom those qualities do not exist, even though he be
a _Brahmana_ by birth. And again, as for thy assertion that the object
to be known (as asserted by me) doth not exist, because nothing exists
that is devoid of both (happiness and misery), such indeed is the
opinion, O serpent, that nothing exists that is without (them) both. But
as in cold, heat doth not exist, nor in heat, cold, so there cannot
exist an object in which both (happiness and misery) cannot exist?'

"The serpent said, 'O king, if thou recognise him as a Brahmana by
characteristics, then, O long-lived one, the distinction of caste
becometh futile as long as conduct doth not come into play.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'In human society, O mighty and highly intelligent
serpent, it is difficult to ascertain one's caste, because of
promiscuous intercourse among the four orders. This is my opinion. Men
belonging to all orders (promiscuously) beget offspring upon women of
all the orders. And of men, speech, sexual intercourse, birth and death
are common. And to this the Rishis have borne testimony by using as the
beginning of a sacrifice such expressions as--_of what caste so ever we
may be, we celebrate the sacrifice_. Therefore, those that are wise have
asserted that character is the chief essential requisite. The natal
ceremony of a person is performed before division of the umbilical cord.
His mother then acts as its _Savitri_ and his father officiates as
priest. He is considered as a _Sudra_ as long as he is not initiated in
the _Vedas_. Doubts having arisen on this point, O prince, of serpents,
Swayambhuba Manu has declared, that the mixed castes are to be regarded
as better than the (other) classes, if having gone through the
ceremonies of purification, the latter do not conform to the rules of
good conduct, O excellent snake! Whosoever now conforms to the rules of
pure and virtuous conduct, him have I, ere now, designated as a
_Brahmana_.' The serpent replied, 'O Yudhishthira, thou art acquainted
with all that is fit to be known and having listened to thy words, how
can I (now) eat up thy brother Vrikodara!'"


SECTION CLXXX

"Yudhishthira said, 'In this world, you are so learned in the _Vedas_
and _Vedangas_; tell me (then), what one should do to attain salvation?'

"The serpent replied, 'O scion of the Bharata's race, my belief is that
the man who bestows alms on proper objects, speaks kind words and tells
the truth and abstains from doing injury to any creature goes to
heaven.'

"Yudhishthira enquired, 'Which, O snake, is the higher of the two, truth
or alms-giving? Tell me also the greater or less importance of kind
behaviour and of doing injury to no creature.'

"The snake replied, 'The relative merits of these virtues, truth and
alms-giving, kind speech and abstention from injury to any creature, are
known (measured) by their objective gravity (utility). Truth is
(sometimes) more praiseworthy than some acts of charity; some of the
latter again are more commendable than true speech. Similarly, O mighty
king, and lord of the earth, abstention from doing injury to any
creature is seen to be important than good speech and vice-versa. Even
so it is, O king, depending on effects. And now, if thou hast anything
else to ask, say it all, I shall enlighten thee!' Yudhishthira said,
'Tell me, O snake, how the incorporal being's translation to heaven, its
perception by the senses and its enjoyment of the immutable fruits of
its actions (here below), can be comprehended.' The snake replied, 'By
his own acts, man is seen to attain to one of the three conditions of
human existence, of heavenly life, or of birth in the lower animal
kingdom. Among these, the man who is not slothful, who injures no one
and who is endowed with charity and other virtues, goes to heaven, after
leaving this world of men. By doing the very contrary, O king, people
are again born as men or as lower animals. O my son, it is particularly
said in this connection, that the man who is swayed by anger and lust
and who is given to avarice and malice falls away from his human state
and is born again as a lower animal, and the lower animals too are
ordained to be transformed into the human state; and the cow, the horse
and other animals are observed to attain to even the divine state.[3] O
my son, the sentient being, reaping the fruits of his actions, thus
transmigrates through these conditions; but the regenerate and wise man
reposes his soul in the everlasting Supreme Spirit. The embodied spirit,
enchained by destiny and reaping the fruits of its own actions, thus
undergoes birth after birth but he that has lost touch of his actions,
is conscious of the immutable destiny of all born beings.[4]'

[3] More literally, the state of the gods. It may appropriately
be remarked here that the ordinary Hindu gods, of the post-Vedic
period, like the gods of Ancient Greece and Italy, were simply a
class of superhuman beings, distinctly contra-distinguished from
the Supreme Spirit, the _Paramatman_ or _Parabrahma_. After
death, a virtuous man was supposed to be transformed into one of
these so-called gods.

[4] This is the well-known and popular doctrine of
transmigration of souls.

"Yudhishthira asked, 'O snake, tell me truly and without confusion how
that dissociated spirit becomes cognisant of sound, touch, form,
flavour, and taste. O great-minded one, dost thou not perceive them,
simultaneously by the senses? Do thou, O best of snakes, answer all
these queries!' The snake replied, 'O long-lived one, the thing called
_Atman_ (spirit), betaking itself to corporeal tenement and manifesting
itself through the organs of sense, becomes duly cognisant of
perceptible objects. O prince of Bharata's race, know that the senses,
the mind, and the intellect, assisting the soul in its perception of
objects, are called _Karanas_. O my son, the eternal spirit, going out
of its sphere, and aided by the mind, acting through the senses, the
receptacles of all perceptions, successively perceives these things
(sound, form, flavour, &c). O most valiant of men, the mind of living
creatures is the cause of all perception, and, therefore, it cannot be
cognisant of more than one thing at a time. That spirit, O foremost of
men, betaking itself to the space between the eyebrows, sends the high
and low intellect to different objects. What the _Yogins_ perceive after
the action of the intelligent principle by that is manifested the action
of the soul.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'Tell me the distinguishing characteristics of the
mind and the intellect. The knowledge of it is ordained as the chief
duty of persons meditating on the Supreme Spirit.'

"The snake replied, 'Through illusion, the soul becomes subservient to
the intellect. The intellect, though known to be subservient to the
soul, becomes (then) the director of the latter. The intellect is
brought into play by acts of perception; the mind is self-existent. The
Intellect does not cause the sensation (as of pain, pleasure, &c), but
the mind does. This, my son, is the difference between the mind and the
intellect. You too are learned in this matter, what is your opinion?'

"Yudhishthira said, 'O most intelligent one, you have fine intelligence
and you know all that is fit to be known. Why do you ask me that
question? You knew all and you performed such wonderful deeds and you
lived in heaven. How could then illusion overpower you? Great is my
doubt on this point.' The snake replied, 'Prosperity intoxicates even
the wise and valiant men. Those who live in luxury, (soon) lose their
reason. So, I too, O Yudhishthira, overpowered by the infatuation of
prosperity, have fallen from my high state and having recovered my
self-consciousness, am enlightening thee thus! O victorious king, thou
hast done me a good turn. By conversing with thy pious self, my painful
curse has been expiated. In days of yore, while I used to sojourn in
heaven in a celestial chariot, reveling in my pride, I did not think of
anything else, I used to exact tribute from _Brahmarshis, Devas,
Yakshas, Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Pannagas_ and all other dwellers of the
three worlds. O lord of earth, such was the spell of my eyes, that on
whatever creature, I fixed them, I instantly destroyed his power.
Thousands of _Brahmarshis_ used to draw my chariot. The delinquency, O
king, was the cause of my fall from my high prosperity. Among them,
Agastya was one day drawing my conveyance, and my feet came in contact
with his body; Agastya then pronounced (this curse) on me, in anger,
"Ruin seize thee, do thou become a snake." So, losing my glory, I fell
down from that excellent car and while falling, I beheld myself turned
into a snake, with head downwards. I thus implored that Brahmana, "May
this curse be extinguished, O adorable one! You ought to forgive one who
has been so foolish from infatuation." Then he kindly told me this, as I
was being hurled down (from heaven), "The virtuous king Yudhishthira
will save thee from this curse, and when, O king, horrible sin of pride
will be extinguished in thee, thou shalt attain salvation." And I was
struck with wonder on seeing (this) power of his austere virtues; and
therefore, have I questioned thee about the attributes of the Supreme
Spirit and of _Brahmanas_. Truth, charity, self-restraint, penance,
abstention from doing injury to any creature, and constancy in virtue,
these, O king, and not his race of family connections, are the means, by
which a man must always secure salvation. May this brother of thine, the
mighty Bhimasena, meet with good luck and may happiness abide with thee!
I must go to Heaven again.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "So saying, that king, Nahusha, quitted his
serpentine form, and assuming his celestial shape he went back to
Heaven. The glorious and pious Yudhishthira, too, returned to his
hermitage with Dhaumya and his brother Bhima. Then the virtuous
Yudhishthira narrated all that, in detail, to the _Brahmanas_ who had
assembled (there). On hearing that, his three brothers and all the
_Brahmanas_ and the renowned Draupadi too were covered with shame. And
all those excellent _Brahmanas_ desiring the welfare of the Pandavas,
admonished Bhima for his foolhardiness, telling him not to attempt such
things again, and the Pandavas too were greatly pleased at seeing the
mighty Bhima out of danger, and continued to live there pleasantly."


SECTION CLXXXI

(_Markandeya-Samasya Parva_)

Vaisampayana said, "While they were dwelling at that place, there set in
the season of the rains, the season that puts an end to the hot weather
and is delightful to all animated beings. Then the black clouds,
rumbling loudly, and covering the heavens and the cardinal points,
ceaselessly rained during day and night. These clouds, counted by
hundreds and by thousands, looked like domes in the rainy season. From
the earth disappeared the effulgence of the sun; its place was taken by
the stainless lustre of the lightning; the earth became delightful to
all, being overgrown with grass, with gnats and reptiles in their joy;
it was bathed with rain and possessed with calm. When the waters had
covered all, it could not be known whether the ground was at all even or
uneven;--whether there were rivers or trees or hills. At the end of the
hot season, the rivers added beauty to the woods being themselves full
of agitated waters, flowing with great force and resembling serpents in
the hissing sound they made. The boars, the stags and the birds, while
the rain was falling upon them began to utter sounds of various kinds
which could be heard within the forest tracts. The _chatakas_, the
peacocks and the host of male _Kohilas_ and the excited frogs, all ran
about in joy. Thus while the Pandavas were roaming about in the deserts
and sandy tracts, the happy season of rain, so various in aspect and
resounding with clouds passed away. Then set in the season of autumn,
thronged with ganders and cranes and full of joy; then the forest tracts
were overrun with grass; the river turned limpid; the firmament and
stars shone brightly., And the autumn, thronged with beasts and birds,
was joyous and pleasant for the magnanimous sons of Pandu. Then were
seen nights, that were free from dust and cool with clouds and
beautified by myriads of planets and stars and the moon. And they beheld
rivers and ponds, adorned with lilies and white lotuses, full of cool
and pleasant water. And while roving by the river _Saraswati_ whose
banks resembled the firmament itself and were overgrown with canes, and
as such abounded in sacred baths, their joy was great. And those heroes
who wielded powerful bows, were specially glad to see the pleasant river
_Saraswati_, with its limpid waters full to the brim. And, O Janamejaya,
the holiest night, that of the full moon in the month of _Kartika_ in
the season of autumn, was spent by them while dwelling there! And the
sons of Pandu, the best of the descendants of Bharata, spent that
auspicious juncture with righteous and magnanimous saints devoted to
penance. And as soon as the dark fortnight set in immediately after, the
sons of Pandu entered the forest named the Kamyaka, accompanied by
Dhananjaya and their charioteers and cooks."


SECTION CLXXXII

Vaisampayana said, "O son of Kuru, they, Yudhishthira and others, having
reached the forest of _Kamyaka_, were hospitably received by hosts of
saints and they lived together with Krishna. And while the sons of Pandu
were dwelling in security in that place, many _Brahmanas_ came to wait
upon them. And a certain _Brahmana_ said, 'He the beloved friend of
Arjuna, of powerful arms and possessed of self control, descendant of
_Sura_, of a lofty intellect, will come, for, O ye foremost of the
descendants of Kuru, Hari knows that ye have arrived here. For, Hari has
always a longing for your sight and always seeks your welfare. And
Markandeya, who lived very many years devoted to great austerities,
given to study and penance, will erelong come and meet you.' And the
very moment that he was uttering these words, there was beheld Krishna,
coming thitherward upon a car unto which were yoked the horses Saivya
and Sugriva,--he the best of those that ride on cars, accompanied by
Satyabhama, is like Indra by Sachi, the daughter of Pulaman. And the son
of Devaki came, desirous to see those most righteous of the descendants
of Kuru. And the sagacious Krishna, having alighted from the car,
prostrated himself, with pleasure in his heart, before the virtuous
king, in the prescribed way, and also before Bhima, that foremost of
powerful men. And he paid his respects to Dhaumya, while the twin
brothers prostrated themselves to him. And he embraced Arjuna of the
curly hair; and spoke words of solace to the daughter of Drupada. And
the descendant of the chief of the Dasaraha tribe, that chastiser of
foes, when he saw the beloved Arjuna come near him, having seen him
after a length of time, clasped him again and again. And so too
Satyabhama also, the beloved consort of Krishna, embraced the daughter
of Drupada, the beloved wife of the sons of Pandu. Then these sons of
Pandu, accompanied by their wife and priests, paid their respects to
Krishna, whose eyes resembled the white lotus and surrounded him on all
sides. And Krishna, when united with Arjuna, the son of Pritha, the
winner of riches and the terror of the demons assumed a beauty
comparable to that of _Siva_, the magnanimous lord of all created
beings, when he, the mighty lord, is united with Kartikeya (his son).
And Arjuna, who bore a circlet of crowns on his head, gave an account of
what had happened to him in the forest to Krishna, the elder brother of
Gada. And Arjuna asked, saying, 'How is Subhadra, and her son
Abhimanyu?' And Krishna, the slayer of Madhu, having paid his respects
in the prescribed form to the son of Pritha, and to the priest, and
seating himself with them there, spoke to king Yudhishthira, in words of
praise. And he said, 'O king, Virtue is preferable to the winning of
kingdoms; it is, in fact, practice of austerities! By you who have
obeyed with truth and candour what your duty prescribed, have been won
both this world and that to come! First you have studied, while
performing religious duties; having acquired in a suitable way the whole
science of arms, having won wealth by pursuing the methods prescribed
for the military caste, you have celebrated all the time-honoured
sacrificial rites. You take no delight in sensual pleasures; you do not
act, O lord of men, from motives of enjoyment, nor do you swerve from
virtue from greed of riches; it is for this, you have been named the
Virtuous King, O son of Pritha! Having won kingdoms and riches and means
of enjoyment, your best delight has been charity and truth and practice
of austerities, O King, and faith and meditation and forbearance and
patience! When the population of Kuru-jangala beheld Krishna outraged in
the assembly hall, who but yourself could brook that conduct, O Pandu's
son, which was so repugnant both to virtue and usage? No doubt, you
will, before long, rule over men in a praiseworthy way, all your desires
being fulfilled. Here are we prepared to chastise the Kurus, as soon as
the stipulation made by you is fully performed!' And Krishna, the
foremost of the _Dasarha_ tribe, then said to Dhaumya and Bhima and
Yudhishthira, and the twins and Krishna, 'How fortunate that by your
blessing Arjuna the bearer of the coronet, has arrived after having
acquired the science of arms!' And Krishna, the leader of the _Dasarha_
tribe, accompanied by friends, likewise spoke to Krishna, the daughter
of Yajnasena, saying, 'How fortunate that you are united, safe and
secure, with Arjuna, the winner of riches!' And Krishna also said, 'O
Krishna, O daughter of Yajnasena, those sons of yours, are devoted to
the study of the science of arms, are well-behaved and conduct
themselves on the pattern, O Krishna, of their righteous friends. Your
father and your uterine brothers proffer them a kingdom and territories;
but the boys find no joy in the house of Drupada, or in that of their
maternal uncles. Safely proceeding to the land of the Anartas, they take
the greatest delight in the study of the science of arms. Your sons
enter the town of the _Vrishnis_ and take an immediate liking to the
people there. And as you would direct them to conduct themselves, or as
the respected Kunti would do, so does Subhadra direct them in a watchful
way. Perhaps, she is still more careful of them. And, O Krishna, as
Rukmini's son is the preceptor of Aniruddha, of Abhimanyu, of Sunitha,
and of Bhanu; so he is the preceptor and the refuge of your sons also!
And a good preceptor, would unceasingly give them lessons in the
wielding of maces and swords and bucklers, in missiles and in the arts
of driving cars and of riding horses, being valiant. And he, the son of
Rukmini, having bestowed a very good training upon them, and having
taught them the art of using various weapons in a proper way, takes
satisfaction at the valorous deeds of your sons, and of Abhimanyu, O
daughter of Drupada! And when your son goes out, in pursuit of
(out-door) sports, each one of them is followed thither by cars and
horses and vehicles and elephants.' And Krishna said to the virtuous
king, Yudhishthira, 'The fighting men of the _Dasarha_ tribe, and the
_Kukuras_, and the _Andhakas_--let these, O king, place themselves at
thy command--let them perform what thou desirest them. O lord of men,
let the army of the tribe of Madhus, (resistless) like the wind, with
their bows and led by Balarama whose weapon is the plough--let that
army, equipped (for war), consisting of horsemen and foot soldiers and
horses and cars and elephants, prepare to do your bidding. O son of
Pandu! Drive Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, the vilest of sinful
men, together with his followers and his hosts of friends to the path
betaken by the lord of Saubha, the son of the Earth! You, O ruler of
men, are welcome to stick to that stipulation which was made in the
assembly-hall--but let the city of Hastina be made ready for you, when
the hostile force has been slain by the soldiers of the _Dasarha_ tribe!
Having roamed at your pleasure in all those places where you may desire
to go, having got rid of your grief and freed from all your sins--you
will reach the city of Hastina--the well-known city situated in the
midst of a fine territory!'--Then the magnanimous king having been
acquainted with the view, thus clearly set forth by Krishna that best of
men, and, having applauded the same, and having deliberated, thus spoke
with joined palms unto Kesava, 'O Kesava, no doubt, thou art the refuge
of the sons of Pandu; for the sons of Pandu have their protector in
thee! When the time will come, there is no doubt that thou wilt do all
the work just mentioned by thee; and even more than the same! As
promised by us, we have spent all the twelve years in lonely forests. O
Kesava, having in the prescribed way completed the period for living
unrecognised, the sons of Pandu will take refuge in thee. This should be
the intention of those that associate with thee, O Krishna! The sons of
Pandu swerve not from the path of truth, for the sons of Pritha with
their charity and their piety with their people and their wives and with
their relations have their protector in thee!'"