The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (Translator)

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SECTION LXIII

(Adivansavatarana Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'There was a king of the name of Uparichara. That
monarch was devoted to virtue. He was very much addicted also to hunting.
That king of the Paurava race, called also Vasu, conquered the excellent
and delightful kingdom of Chedi under instructions from Indra. Some time
after, the king gave up the use of arms and, dwelling in a secluded
retreat, practised the most severe austerities. The gods with Indra at
their head once approached the monarch during this period, believing that
he sought the headship of the gods, by those severe austerities of his.
The celestials, becoming objects of his sight, by soft speeches succeeded
in winning him away from his ascetic austerities.'

"The gods said, 'O lord of the earth, thou shouldst take care so that
virtue may not sustain a diminution on earth! Protected by thee, virtue
itself will in return protect the universe.' And Indra said, 'O king,
protect virtue on earth attentively and rigidly. Being virtuous, thou
shalt, for all time, behold (in after life) many sacred regions. And
though I am of Heaven, and thou art of earth, yet art thou my friend and
dear to me. And, O king of men, dwell thou in that region on earth which
is delightful, and aboundeth in animals, is sacred, full of wealth and
corn, is well-protected like heaven, which is of agreeable climate, graced
with every object of enjoyment, and blessed with fertility. And, O monarch
of Chedi, this thy dominion is full of riches, of gems and precious stones,
and containeth, besides, much mineral wealth. The cities and towns of this
region are all devoted to virtue; the people are honest and contented;
they never lie even in jest. Sons never divide their wealth with their
fathers and are ever mindful of the welfare of their parents. Lean cattle
are never yoked to the plough or the cart or engaged in carrying
merchandise; on the other hand, they are well-fed and fattened. In Chedi
the four orders are always engaged in their respective vocations. Let
nothing be unknown to thee that happens in the three worlds. I shall give
thee a crystal car such as the celestials alone are capable of carrying
the car through mid air. Thou alone, of all mortals on earth, riding on
that best of cars, shall course through mid-air like a celestial endued
with a physical frame. I shall also give thee a triumphal garland of
unfading lotuses, with which on, in battle, thou shall not be wounded by
weapons. And, O king, this blessed and incomparable garland, widely known
on earth as Indra's garland, shall be thy distinctive badge.'

"The slayer of Vritra (Indra) also gave the king, for his gratification, a
bamboo pole for protecting the honest and the peaceful. After the expiry
of a year, the king planted it in the ground for the purpose of
worshipping the giver thereof, viz., Sakra. From that time forth, O
monarch, all kings, following Vasu's example, began to plant a pole for
the celebration of Indra's worship. After erecting the pole they decked it
with golden cloth and scents and garlands and various ornaments. And the
god Vasava is worshipped in due form with such garlands and ornaments. And
the god, for the gratification of the illustrious Vasu, assuming the form
of a swan, came himself to accept the worship thus offered. And the god,
beholding the auspicious worship thus made by Vasu, that first of monarchs,
was delighted, and said unto him, 'Those men, and kings also, who will
worship me and joyously observe this festival of mine like the king of
Chedi, shall have glory and victory for their countries and kingdom. Their
cities also shall expand and be ever in joy.'

"King Vasu was thus blessed by the gratified Maghavat, the high-souled
chief of the gods. Indeed, those men who cause this festivity of Sakra to
be observed with gifts of land, of gems and precious stones, become the
respected of the world. And king Vasu, the lord of Chedis bestowing boons
and performing great sacrifices and observing the festivity of Sakra, was
much respected by Indra. And from Chedi he ruled the whole world
virtuously. And for the gratification of Indra, Vasu, the lord of the
Chedis, observed the festivity of Indra.

"And Vasu had five sons of great energy and immeasurable prowess. And the
emperor installed his sons as governors of various provinces.

"And his son Vrihadratha was installed in Magadha and was known by the
name of Maharatha. Another son of his was Pratyagraha; and another,
Kusamva, who was also called Manivahana. And the two others were Mavella,
and Yadu of great prowess and invincible in battle.

"These, O monarch, were the sons of that royal sage of mighty energy. And
the five sons of Vasu planted kingdoms and towns after their own names and
founded separate dynasties that lasted for long ages.

"And when king Vasu took his seat in that crystal car, with the gift of
Indra, and coursed through the sky, he was approached by Gandharvas and
Apsaras (the celestial singers and dancers). And as he coursed through the
upper regions, he was called Uparichara. And by his capital flowed a river
called Suktimati. And that river was once attacked by a life-endued
mountain called Kolahala maddened by lust. And Vasu, beholding the foul
attempt, struck the mountain with his foot. And by the indentation caused
by Vasu's stamp, the river came out (of the embraces of Kolahala). But the
mountain begat on the river two children that were twins. And the river,
grateful to Vasu for his having set her free from Kolahala's embraces,
gave them both to Vasu. And the son was made the generalissimo to his
forces by Vasu, that best of royal sages and giver of wealth and punisher
of enemies. And the daughter called Girika, was wedded by Vasu.

"And Girika, the wife of Vasu, after her menstrual course, purifying
herself by a bath, represented her state unto her lord. But that very day
the Pitris of Vasu came unto that best of monarchs and foremost of wise
men, and asked him to slay deer (for their Sraddha). And the king,
thinking that the command of the Pitris should not be disobeyed, went a-
hunting thinking of Girika alone who was gifted with great beauty and like
unto another Sri herself. And the season being the spring, the woods
within which the king was roaming, had become delightful like unto the
gardens of the king of the Gandharvas himself. There were Asokas and
Champakas and Chutas and Atimuktas in abundance: and there were Punnagas
and Karnikaras and Vakulas and Divya Patalas and Patalas and Narikelas and
Chandanas and Arjunas and similar other beautiful and sacred trees
resplendent with fragrant flowers and sweet fruits. And the whole forest
was maddened by the sweet notes of the kokila and echoed with the hum of
maddened bees. And the king became possessed with desire, and he saw not
his wife before him. Maddened by desire he was roaming hither and thither,
when he saw a beautiful Asoka decked with dense foliage, its branches
covered with flowers. And the king sat at his ease in the shade of that
tree. And excited by the fragrance of the season and the charming odours
of the flowers around, and excited also by the delicious breeze, the king
could not keep his mind away from the thought of the beautiful Girika. And
beholding that a swift hawk was resting very near to him, the king,
acquainted with the subtle truths of Dharma and Artha, went unto him and
said, 'Amiable one, carry thou this seed (semen) for my wife Girika and
give it unto her. Her season hath arrived.'

"The hawk, swift of speed, took it from the king and rapidly coursed
through the air. While thus passing, the hawk was seen by another of his
species. Thinking that the first one was carrying meat, the second one
flew at him. The two fought with each other in the sky with their beaks.
While they were fighting, the seed fell into the waters of the Yamuna. And
in those waters dwelt an Apsara of the higher rank, known by the name of
Adrika, transformed by a Brahmana's curse into a fish. As soon as Vasu's
seed fell into the water from the claws of the hawk, Adrika rapidly
approached and swallowed it at once. That fish was, some time after,
caught by the fishermen. And it was the tenth month of the fish's having
swallowed the seed. From the stomach of that fish came out a male and a
female child of human form. The fishermen wondered much, and wending unto
king Uparichara (for they were his subjects) told him all. They said, 'O
king, these two beings of human shape have been found in the body of a
fish!' The male child amongst the two was taken by Uparichara. That child
afterwards became the virtuous and truthful monarch Matsya.

"After the birth of the twins, the Apsara herself became freed from her
curse. For she had been told before by the illustrious one (who had cursed
her) that she would, while living in her piscatorial form, give birth to
two children of human shape and then would be freed from the curse. Then,
according to these words, having given birth to the two children, and been
killed by the fishermen, she left her fish-form and assumed her own
celestial shape. The Apsara then rose up on the path trodden by the
Siddhas, the Rishis and the Charanas.

"The fish-smelling daughter of the Apsara in her piscatorial form was then
given by the king unto the fishermen, saying, 'Let this one be thy
daughter.' That girl was known by the name of Satyavati. And gifted with
great beauty and possessed of every virtue, she of agreeable smiles, owing
to contact with fishermen, was for some time of the fishy smell. Wishing
to serve her (foster) father she plied a boat on the waters of the Yamuna.

"While engaged in this vocation, Satyavati was seen one day by the great
Rishi Parasara, in course of his wanderings. As she was gifted with great
beauty, an object of desire even with an anchorite, and of graceful smiles,
the wise sage, as soon as he beheld her, desired to have her. And that
bull amongst Munis addressed the daughter of Vasu of celestial beauty and
tapering thighs, saying, 'Accept my embraces, O blessed one!' Satyavati
replied, 'O holy one, behold the Rishis standing on either bank of the
river. Seen by them, how can I grant thy wish?'

"Thus addressed by her, the ascetic thereupon created a fog (which existed
not before and) which enveloped the whole region in darkness. And the
maiden, beholding the fog that was created by the great Rishi wondered
much. And the helpless one became suffused with the blushes of bashfulness.
And she said, 'O holy one, note that I am a maiden under the control of my
father. O sinless one, by accepting your embraces my virginity will be
sullied. O best of Brahmanas, my virginity being sullied, how shall I, O
Rishi, be able to return home? Indeed, I shall not then be able to bear
life. Reflecting upon all this, O illustrious one, do that which should be
done.' That best of Rishis, gratified with all she said, replied, 'Thou
shall remain a virgin even if thou grantest my wish. And, O timid one, O
beauteous lady, solicit the boon that thou desirest. O thou of fair smiles,
my grace hath never before proved fruitless.' Thus addressed, the maiden
asked for the boon that her body might emit a sweet scent (instead of the
fish-odour that it had). And the illustrious Rishi thereupon granted that
wish of her heart.

"Having obtained her boon, she became highly pleased, and her season
immediately came. And she accepted the embraces of that Rishi of wonderful
deeds. And she thenceforth became known among men by the name of
Gandhavati (the sweet-scented one). And men could perceive her scent from
the distance of a yojana. And for this she was known by another name which
was Yojanagandha (one who scatters her scent for a yojana all around). And
the illustrious Parasara, after this, went to his own asylum.

"And Satyavati gratified with having obtained the excellent boon in
consequence of which she became sweet-scented and her virginity remained
unsullied conceived through Parasara's embraces. And she brought forth the
very day, on an island in the Yamuna, the child begot upon her by Parasara
and gifted with great energy. And the child, with the permission of his
mother, set his mind on asceticism. And he went away saying, 'As soon as
thou rememberest me when occasion comes, I shall appear unto thee.'

"And it was thus that Vyasa was born of Satyavati through Parasara. And
because he was born in an island, he was called Dwaipayana (Dwaipa or
islandborn). And the learned Dwaipayana, beholding that virtue is destined
to become lame by one leg each yuga (she having four legs in all) and that
the period of life and the strength of men followed the yugas, and moved
by the desire of obtaining the favour of Brahman and the Brahmanas,
arranged the Vedas. And for this he came to be called Vyasa (the arranger
or compiler). The boon-giving great one then taught Sumanta, Jaimini,
Paila, his son Suka, and Vaisampayana, the Vedas having the Mahabharata
for their fifth. And the compilation of the Bharata was published by him
through them separately.

"Then Bhishma, of great energy and fame and of immeasurable splendour, and
sprung from the component parts of the Vasus, was born in the womb of
Ganga through king Santanu. And there was a Rishi of the name of
Animandavya of great fame. And he was conversant with the interpretations
of the Vedas, was illustrious, gifted with great energy, and of great
reputation. And, accused of theft, though innocent, the old Rishi was
impaled. He thereupon summoned Dharma and told him these words, 'In my
childhood I had pierced a little fly on a blade of grass, O Dharma! I
recollect that one sin: but I cannot call to mind any other. I have,
however, since practised penances a thousandfold. Hath not that one sin
been conquered by this my asceticism? And because the killing of a
Brahmana is more heinous than that of any other living thing, therefore,
hast thou, O Dharma, been sinful. Thou shalt, therefore, be born on earth
in the Sudra order.' And for that curse Dharma was born a Sudra in the
form of the learned Vidura of pure body who was perfectly sinless. And the
Suta was born of Kunti in her maidenhood through Surya. And he came out of
his mother's womb with a natural coat of mail and face brightened by ear-
rings. And Vishnu himself, of world-wide fame, and worshipped of all the
worlds, was born of Devaki through Vasudeva, for the benefit of the three
worlds. He is without birth and death, of radiant splendour, the Creator
of the universe and the Lord of all! Indeed, he who is the invisible cause
of all, who knoweth no deterioration, who is the all-pervading soul, the
centre round which everything moveth, the substance in which the three
attributes of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas co-inhere, the universal soul, the
immutable, the material out of which hath been created this universe, the
Creator himself, the controlling lord, the invisible dweller in every
object, progenitor of this universe of five elements, who is united with
the six high attributes, is the Pranava or Om of the Vedas, is infinite,
incapable of being moved by any force save his own will, illustrious, the
embodiment of the mode of life called Sannyasa, who floated on the waters
before the creation, who is the source whence hath sprung this mighty
frame, who is the great combiner, the uncreate, the invisible essence of
all, the great immutable, bereft of those attributes that are knowable by
the senses, who is the universe itself, without beginning, birth, and
decay,--is possessed of infinite wealth, that Grandsire of all creatures,
became incarnate in the race of the Andhaka-Vrishnis for the increase of
virtue.

"And Satyaki and Kritavarma, conversant with (the use of) weapons
possessed of mighty energy, well-versed in all branches of knowledge, and
obedient to Narayana in everything and competent in the use of weapons,
had their births from Satyaka and Hridika. And the seed of the great Rishi
Bharadwaja of severe penances, kept in a pot, began to develop. And from
that seed came Drona (the pot-born). And from the seed of Gautama, fallen
upon a clump of reeds, were born two that were twins, the mother of
Aswatthaman (called Kripi), and Kripa of great strength. Then was born
Dhrishtadyumna, of the splendour of Agni himself, from the sacrificial
fire. And the mighty hero was born with bow in hand for the destruction of
Drona. And from the sacrificial altar was born Krishna (Draupadi)
resplendent and handsome, of bright features and excellent beauty. Then
was born the disciple of Prahlada, viz., Nagnajit, and also Suvala. And
from Suvala was born a son, Sakuni, who from the curse of the gods became
the slayer of creatures and the foe of virtue. And unto him was also born
a daughter (Gandhari), the mother of Duryodhana. And both were well-versed
in the arts of acquiring worldly profits. And from Krishna was born, in
the soil of Vichitravirya, Dhritarashtra, the lord of men, and Pandu of
great strength. And from Dwaipayana also born, in the Sudra caste, the
wise and intelligent Vidura, conversant with both religion and profit, and
free from all sins. And unto Pandu by his two wives were born five sons
like the celestials. The eldest of them was Yudhishthira. And Yudhishthira
was born (of the seed) of Dharma (Yama, the god of justice); and Bhima of
the wolf's stomach was born of Marut (the god of wind), and Dhananjaya,
blessed with good fortune and the first of all wielders of weapons, was
born of Indra; and Nakula and Sahadeva, of handsome features and ever
engaged in the service of their superiors, were born of the twin Aswins.
And unto the wise Dhritarashtra were born a hundred sons, viz., Duryodhana
and others, and another, named Yuyutsu, who was born of a vaisya woman.
And amongst those hundred and one, eleven, viz., Duhsasana, Duhsaha,
Durmarshana, Vikarna, Chitrasena, Vivinsati, Jaya, Satyavrata, Purumitra,
and Yuyutsu by a Vaisya wife, were all Maharathas (great car-warriors).
And Abhimanyu was born of Subhadra, the sister of Vasudeva through Arjuna,
and was, therefore, the grandson of the illustrious Pandu. And unto the
five Pandavas were born five sons by (their common wife) Panchali. And
these princes were all very handsome and conversant with all branches of
knowledge. From Yudhishthira was born Pritivindhya; from Vrikodara,
Sutasoma; from Arjuna, Srutakirti; from Nakula, Satanika; and from
Sahadeva, Srutasena of great prowess; and Bhima, in the forest begot on
Hidimva a son named Ghatotkacha. And from Drupada was born a daughter
Sikhandin who was afterwards transformed into a male child. Sikhandini was
so transformed into a male by Yaksha named Sthuna from the desire of doing
her good.

"In that great battle of the Kurus came hundreds of thousands of monarchs
for fighting against one another. The names of the innumerable host I am
unable to recount even in ten thousand years. I have named, however, the
principal ones who have been mentioned in this history.'"

SECTION LXIV

(Adivansavatarana Parva continued)

"Janamejaya said, 'O Brahmana, those thou hast named and those thou hast
not named, I wish to hear of them in detail, as also of other kings by
thousands. And, O thou of great good fortune, it behoveth thee to tell me
in full the object for which those Maharathas, equal unto the celestials
themselves, were born on earth.'

"Vaisampayana said, 'It hath been heard by us, O monarch, that what thou
askest is a mystery even to the gods. I shall, however, speak of it unto
thee, after bowing down (to the self-born). The son of Jamadagni
(Parasurama), after twenty-one times making the earth bereft of Kshatriyas
wended to that best of mountains Mahendra and there began his ascetic
penances. And at that time when the earth was bereft of Kshatriyas, the
Kshatriya ladies, desirous of offspring, used to come, O monarch, to the
Brahmanas and Brahmanas of rigid vows had connection with them during the
womanly season alone, but never, O king, lustfully and out of season. And
Kshatriya ladies by thousands conceived from such connection with
Brahmanas. Then, O monarch, were born many Kshatriyas of greater energy,
boys and girls, so that the Kshatriya race, might thrive. And thus sprang
the Kshatriya race from Kshatriya ladies by Brahmanas of ascetic penances.
And the new generation, blessed with long life, began to thrive in virtue.
And thus were the four orders having Brahmanas at their head re-
established. And every man at that time went in unto his wife during her
season and never from lust and out of season. And, O bull of the Bharata
race, in the same way, other creatures also, even those born in the race
of birds went in unto their wives during the season alone. And, O
protector of the earth, hundreds of thousands of creatures were born, and
all were virtuous and began to multiply in virtue, all being free from
sorrow and disease. And, O thou of the elephant's tread, this wide earth
having the ocean for her boundaries, with her mountains and woods and
towns, was once more governed by the Kshatriyas. And when the earth began
to be again governed virtuously by the Kshatriyas, the other orders having
Brahmanas for their first were filled with great joy. And the kings giving
up all vices born of lust and anger and justly awarding punishments to
those that deserved them protected the earth. And he of a hundred
sacrifices, possessed also of a thousand eyes, beholding that the
Kshatriya monarchs ruled so virtuously, poured down vivifying showers at
proper times and places and blessed all creatures. Then, O king, no one of
immature years died, and none knew a woman before attaining to age. And
thus, O bull of the Bharata race, the earth, to the very coasts of the
ocean, became filled with men that were all long-lived. The Kshatriyas
performed great sacrifices bestowing much wealth. And the Brahmanas also
all studied the Vedas with their branches and the Upanishads. And, O king,
no Brahmana in those days ever sold the Vedas (i.e., taught for money) or
ever read aloud the Vedas in the presence of a Sudra. The Vaisyas, with
the help of bullocks, caused the earth to be tilled. And they never yoked
the cattle themselves. And they fed with care all cattle that were lean.
And men never milked kine as long as the calves drank only the milk of
their dams (without having taken to grass or any other food). And no
merchant in those days ever sold his articles by false scales. And, O
tiger among men, all persons, holding to the ways of virtue, did
everything with eyes set upon virtue. And, O monarch, all the orders were
mindful of their own respective duties. Thus, O tiger among men, virtue in
those days never sustained any diminution. And, O bull of the Bharata race,
both kine and women gave birth to their offspring at the proper time. And
trees bore flowers and fruit duly according to the seasons. And thus, O
king, the krita age having then duly set in, the whole earth was filled
with numerous creatures.

"And, O bull of the Bharata race, when such was the blessed state of the
terrestrial world, the Asuras, O lord of men, began to be born in kingly
lines. And the sons of Diti (Daityas) being repeatedly defeated in war by
the sons of Aditi (celestials) and deprived also of sovereignty and heaven,
began to be incarnated on the earth. And, O king, the Asuras being
possessed of great powers, and desirous of sovereignty began to be born on
earth amongst various creatures, such as kine, horses, asses, camels,
buffaloes, among creatures such as Rakshasas and others, and among
elephants and deer. And, O protector of the earth, owing to those already
born and to those that were being born, the earth became incapable of
supporting herself. And amongst the sons of Diti and of Danu, cast out of
heaven, some were born on the earth as kings of great pride and insolence.
Possessed of great energy, they covered the earth in various shapes.
Capable of oppressing all foes, they filled the earth having the ocean for
its boundaries. And by their strength they began to oppress Brahmanas and
Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras and all other creatures also. Terrifying
and killing all creatures, they traversed the earth, O king, in bands of
hundreds and thousands. Devoid of truth and virtue, proud of their
strength, and intoxicated with (the wine of) insolence, they even insulted
the great Rishis in their hermitages.

"And the earth, thus oppressed by the mighty Asuras endued with great
strength and energy and possessed of abundant means, began to think of
waiting on Brahman. The united strength of the creatures (such as Sesha,
the Tortoise, and the huge Elephant), and of many Seshas too, became
capable of supporting the earth with her mountains, burdened as she was
with the weight of the Danavas. And then, O king, the earth, oppressed
with weight and afflicted with fear, sought the protection of the
Grandsire of all creatures. And she beheld the divine Brahman--the Creator
of the worlds who knoweth no deterioration--surrounded by the gods,
Brahmanas, and great Rishis, of exceeding good fortune, and adored by
delighted Gandharvas and Apsaras always engaged in the service of the
celestials. And the Earth, desirous of protection, then represented
everything to him, in the presence, O Bharata, of all the Regents of the
worlds. But, O king, the Earth's object had been known beforehand to the
Omniscient, Self-create, and Supreme Lord. And, O Bharata, Creator as he
is of the universe, why should he not know fully what is in the minds of
his creatures including the very gods and the Asuras? O king, the Lord of
the Earth, the Creator of all creatures, also called Isa, Sambhu,
Prajapati, then spake unto her. And Brahman said, 'O holder of wealth, for
the accomplishment of the object for which thou hast approached me, I
shall appoint all the dwellers in the heavens.'