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

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

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52

"Soon after Satyavati, O chastiser of foes, summoned Vyasa, after having
secured the assent of her daughter-in-law. Vyasa came according to his
promise, and approached, as before, the second wife of his brother. And
Ambalika beholding the Rishi, became pale with fear. And, O Bharata,
beholding her so afflicted and pale with fear, Vyasa addressed her and
said, 'Because thou hast been pale with fear at the sight of my grim
visage, therefore, thy child shall be pale in complexion. O thou of
handsome face, the name also thy child shall bear will be Pandu (the
pale).' Saying this, the illustrious and best of Rishis came out of her
chamber. And as he came out, he was met by his mother who asked him about
the would-be-child. The Rishi told her that the child would be of pale
complexion and known by the name of Pandu. Satyavati again begged of the
Rishi another child, and the Rishi told her in reply, 'So be it.'
Ambalika, then, when her time came, brought forth a son of pale
complexion. Blazing with beauty the child was endued with all auspicious
marks. Indeed, it was this child who afterwards became the father of
those mighty archers, the Pandavas.

"Some time after, when the oldest of Vichitravirya's widows again had her
monthly season, she was solicited by Satyavati to approach Vyasa once
again. Possessed of beauty like a daughter of a celestial, the princess
refused to do her mother-in-law's bidding, remembering the grim visage and
strong odour of the Rishi. She, however, sent unto him a maid of hers,
endued with the beauty of an Apsara and decked with her own ornaments. And
when the Vyasa arrived, the maid rose up and saluted him. And she waited
upon him respectfully and took her seat near him when asked. And, O king,
the great Rishi of rigid vows, was well-pleased with her, and when he rose
to go away, he addressed her and said, 'Amiable one, thou shalt no longer
be a slave. Thy child also shall be greatly fortunate and virtuous, and
the foremost of all intelligent men on earth!' And, O king, the son thus
begotten upon her by Krishna-Dwaipayana was afterwards known by the name
of Vidura. He was thus the brother of Dhritarashtra and the illustrious
Pandu. And Vidura was free from desire and passion and was conversant with
the rules of government, and was the god of justice born on earth under
the curse of the illustrious Rishi Mandavya. And Krishna-Dwaipayana, when
he met his mother as before, informed her as to how he had been deceived
by the seniormost of the princesses and how he had begotten a son upon a
Sudra woman. And having spoken thus unto his mother the Rishi disappeared
from her sight.

"Thus were born, in the field of Vichitravirya, even of Dwaipayana those
sons of the splendour of celestial children, those propagators of the Kuru
race.'"

SECTION CVII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Janamejaya said, 'What did the god of justice do for which he was cursed?
And who was the Brahmana ascetic from whose curse the god had to be born
in the Sudra caste?'

"Vaisampayana said, 'There was a Brahmana known by the name of Mandavya.
He was conversant with all duties and was devoted to religion, truth and
asceticism. The great ascetic used to sit at the entrance of his hermitage
at the foot of a tree, with his arms upraised in the observance of the vow
of silence. And as he sat there for years together, one day there came
into his asylum a number of robbers laden with spoil. And, O bull in
Bharata's race, those robbers were then being pursued by a superior body
as guardians of the peace. The thieves, on entering that asylum, hid their
booty there, and in fear concealed themselves thereabout before the guards
came. But scarcely had they thus concealed themselves when the constables
in pursuit came to the spot. The latter, observing the Rishi sitting under
the tree, questioned him, O king, saying, 'O best of Brahmanas, which way
have the thieves taken? Point it out to us so that we may follow it
without loss of time.' Thus questioned by the guardians of peace the
ascetic, O king, said not a word, good or otherwise, in reply. The
officers of the king, however, on searching that asylum soon discovered
the thieves concealed thereabout together with the plunder. Upon this,
their suspicion fell upon the Muni, and accordingly they seized him with
the thieves and brought him before the king. The king sentenced him to be
executed along with his supposed associates. And the officers, acting in
ignorance, carried out the sentence by impaling the celebrated Rishi. And
having impaled him, they went to the king with the booty they had
recovered. But the virtuous Rishi, though impaled and kept without food,
remained in that state for a long time without dying. And the Rishi by his
ascetic power not only preserved his life but summoned other Rishi to the
scene. And they came there in the night in the forms of birds, and
beholding him engaged in ascetic meditation though fixed on that stake,
became plunged into grief. And telling that best of Brahmanas who they
were, they asked him saying, 'O Brahmana, we desire to know what hath been
thy sin for which thou hast thus been made to suffer the tortures of
impalement!'"

SECTION CVIII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus asked, the tiger among Munis then answered those
Rishis of ascetic wealth, 'Whom shall I blame for this? In fact, none else
(than my own self) hath offended against me!' After this, O monarch, the
officers of justice, seeing him alive, informed the king of it. The latter
hearing what they said, consulted with his advisers, and came to the place
and began to pacify the Rishi, fixed on the stake. And the king said, 'O
thou best of Rishis, I have offended against thee in ignorance. I beseech
thee to pardon me for the same. It behoveth thee not to be angry with me.'
Thus addressed by the king, the Muni was pacified. And beholding him free
from wrath, the king took him up with the stake and endeavoured to extract
it from his body. But not succeeding therein, he cut it off at the point
just outside the body. The Muni, with a portion of the stake within his
body, walked about, and in that state practised the austerest of penances
and conquered numberless regions unattainable by others. And for the
circumstances of a part of the stake being within his body, he came to be
known in the three worlds by the name of Ani-Mandavya (Mandavya with the
stake within). And one day that Brahamana acquainted with the highest
truth of religion went unto the abode of the god of justice. And beholding
the god there seated on his throne, the Rishi reproached him and said,
'What, pray, is that sinful act committed by me unconsciously, for which I
am bearing this punishment? O, tell me soon, and behold the power of my
asceticism.'

"The god of justice, thus questioned, replied, 'O thou of ascetic wealth,
a little insect was once pierced by thee on a blade of grass. Thou bearest
now the consequence of the act. O Rishi, as a gift, however small,
multiplieth in respect of its religious merits, so a sinful act
multiplieth in respect of the woe it bringeth in its train.' On hearing
this, Ani-Mandavya asked, 'O tell me truly when this act was committed by
me.' Told in reply by the god of justice that he had committed it when a
child, the Rishi said, 'That shall not be a sin which may be done by a
child up to the twelfth year of his age from birth. The scriptures shall
not recognise it as sinful. The punishment thou hast inflicted on me for
such a venial offence hath been disproportionate in severity. The killing
of a Brahmana involves a sin that is heavier than the killing of any other
living being. Thou shall, therefore, O god of justice, have to be born
among men even in the Sudra order. And from this day I establish this
limit in respect of the consequence of acts that an act shall not be
sinful when committed by one below the age of fourteen. But when committed
by one above that age, it shall be regarded as sin.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Cursed for this fault by that illustrious Rishi,
the god of justice had his birth as Vidura in the Sudra order. And Vidura
was well-versed in the doctrines of morality and also politics and worldly
profit. And he was entirely free from covetousness and wrath. Possessed of
great foresight and undisturbed tranquillity of mind, Vidura was ever
devoted to the welfare of the Kurus.'"

SECTION CIX

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Upon the birth of those three children, Kurujangala,
Kurukshetra, and the Kurus grew in prosperity. The earth began to yield
abundant harvest, and the crops also were of good flavour. And the clouds
began to pour rain in season and trees became full of fruits and flowers.
And the draught cattle were all happy and the birds and other animals
rejoiced exceedingly. And the flowers became fragrant and the fruits
became sweet; the cities and towns became filled with merchants, artisans,
traders and artists of every description. And the people became brave,
learned, honest and happy. And there were no robbers then, nor anybody who
was sinful. And it seemed that the golden age had come upon every part of
the kingdom. And the people devoted to virtuous acts, sacrifices and truth,
and regarding one another with love and affection grew in prosperity. And
free from pride, wrath and covetousness, they rejoiced in perfectly
innocent sports. And the capital of the Kurus, full as the ocean, was a
second Amaravati, teeming with hundreds of palaces and mansions, and
possessing gates and arches dark as the clouds. And men in great
cheerfulness sported constantly on rivers, lakes and tanks, and in fine
groves and charming woods. And the southern Kurus, in their virtuous
rivalry with their northern kinsmen, walked about in the company of
Siddhas and Charanas and Rishis. And all over that delightful country
whose prosperity was thus increased by the Kurus, there were no misers and
no widowed women. And the wells and lakes were ever full; the groves
abounded with trees, and the houses and abodes of Brahmanas were full of
wealth and the whole kingdom was full of festivities. And, O king,
virtuously ruled by Bhishma, the kingdom was adorned with hundreds of
sacrificial stakes. And the wheel of virtue having been set in motion by
Bhishma, and the country became so contented that the subjects of other
kingdoms, quitting their homes, came to dwell there and increase its
population. And the citizens and the people were filled with hope, upon
seeing the youthful acts of their illustrious princes. And, O king, in the
house of the Kuru chiefs as also of the principal citizens, 'give', 'eat'
were the only words constantly heard. And Dhritarashtra and Pandu and
Vidura of great intelligence were from their birth brought up by Bhishma,
as if they were his own sons. And the children, having passed through the
usual rites of their order, devoted themselves to vows and study. And they
grew up into fine young men skilled in the Vedas and all athletic sports.
And they became well-skilled in the practice of bow, in horsemanship, in
encounters with mace, sword and shield, in the management of elephants in
battle, and in the science of morality. Well-read in history and the
Puranas and various branches of learning, and acquainted with the truths
of the Vedas and their branches they acquired knowledge, which was
versatile and deep. And Pandu, possessed of great prowess, excelled all
men in archery while Dhritarashtra excelled all in personal strength,
while in the three worlds there was no one equal to Vidura in devotion to
virtue and in the knowledge of the dictates of morality. And beholding the
restoration of the extinct line of Santanu, the saying became current in
all countries that among mothers of heroes, the daughters of the king of
Kasi were the first; that among countries Kurujangala was the first; that
among virtuous men, Vidura was the first; that among cities Hastinapura
was the first. Pandu became king, for Dhritarashtra, owing to the
blindness, and Vidura, for his birth by a Sudra woman, did not obtain the
kingdom. One day Bhishma, the foremost of those acquainted with the duties
of a statesman and dictates of morality, properly addressing Vidura
conversant with the truth of religion and virtue, said as follows."

SECTION CX

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Bhishma said, 'This our celebrated race, resplendent with every virtue
and accomplishment, hath all along sovereignty over all other monarchs on
earth. Its glory maintained and itself perpetuated by many virtuous and
illustrious monarchs of old, the illustrious Krishna (Dwaipayana) and
Satyavati and myself have raised you (three) up, in order that it may not
be extinct. It behoveth myself and thee also to take such steps that this
our dynasty may expand again as the sea. It hath been heard by me that
there are three maidens worthy of being allied to our race. One is the
daughter of (Surasena of) the Yadava race; the other is the daughter of
Suvala; and the third is the princess of Madra. O son, all these maidens
are of course of blue blood. Possessed of beauty and pure blood, they are
eminently fit for an alliance with our family. O thou foremost of
intelligent men, I think we should choose them for the growth of our race.
Tell me what thou thinkest.' Thus addressed, Vidura replied, 'Thou art our
father and thou art our mother, too. Thou art our respected spiritual
instructor. Therefore, do thou what may be best for us in thy eyes.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Soon after Bhishma heard from the Brahmanas that
Gandhari, the amiable daughter of Suvala, having worshipped Hara (Siva)
had obtained from the deity the boon that she should have a century of
sons. Bhishma, the grandfather of the Kurus, having heard this, sent
messengers unto the king of Gandhara. King Suvala at first hesitated on
account of the blindness of the bridegroom, but taking into consideration
the blood of the Kurus, their fame and behaviour, he gave his virtuous
daughter unto Dhritarashtra and the chaste Gandhari hearing that
Dhritarashtra was blind and that her parents had consented to marry her to
him, from love and respect for her future husband, blindfolded her own
eyes. Sakuni, the son of Suvala, bringing unto the Kurus his sister endued
with youth and beauty, formally gave her away unto Dhritarashtra. And
Gandhari was received with great respect and the nuptials were celebrated
with great pomp under Bhishma's directions. And the heroic Sakuni, after
having bestowed his sister along with many valuable robes, and having
received Bhishma's adorations, returned to his own city. And, O thou of
Bharata's race, the beautiful Gandhari gratified all the Kurus by her
behaviour and respectful attentions. And Gandhari, ever devoted to her
husband, gratified her superiors by her good conduct; and as she was
chaste, she never referred even by words to men other than her husband or
such superiors.'"

SECTION CXI

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana continued, 'There was amongst the Yadavas a chief named Sura.
He was the father of Vasudeva. And he had a daughter called Pritha, who
was unrivalled for beauty on earth. And, O thou of Bharata's race, Sura,
always truthful in speech, gave from friendship this his firstborn
daughter unto his childless cousin and friend, the illustrious Kuntibhoja--
the son of his paternal aunt--pursuant to a former promise. And Pritha in
the house of her adoptive father was engaged in looking after the duties
of hospitality to Brahmanas and other guests. Once she gratified by her
attentions the terrible Brahmana of rigid vows, who was known by the name
of Durvasa and was well-acquainted with the hidden truths of morality.
Gratified with her respectful attentions, the sage, anticipating by his
spiritual power the future (season of) distress (consequent upon the curse
to be pronounced upon Pandu for his unrighteous act of slaying a deer
while serving its mate) imparted to her a formula of invocation for
summoning any of the celestials she liked to give her children. And the
Rishi said, 'Those celestials that thou shall summon by this Mantra shall
certainly approach thee and give thee children.' Thus addressed by the
Brahmana, the amiable Kunti (Pritha) became curious, and in her maidenhood
summoned the god Arka (Sun). And as soon as he pronounced the Mantra, she
beheld that effulgent deity--that beholder of everything in the world--
approaching her. And beholding that extraordinary sight, the maiden of
faultless features was overcome with surprise. But the god Vivaswat (Sun)
approaching her, said, 'Here I am, O black-eyed girl! Tell me what I am to
do for thee.'

"Hearing this, Kunti said, 'O slayer of foes, a certain Brahamana gave me
this formula of invocation as a boon, and, O lord, I have summoned thee
only to test its efficacy. For this offence I bow to thee. A woman,
whatever be her offence, always deserveth pardon.' Surya (Sun) replied, 'I
know that Durvasa hath granted this boon. But cast off thy fears, timid
maiden, and grant me thy embraces. Amiable one, my approach cannot be
futile; it must bear fruit. Thou hast summoned me, and if it be for
nothing, it shall certainly be regarded as thy transgression.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Vivaswat thus spoke unto her many things with a
view to allay her fears, but, O Bharata, the amiable maiden, from modesty
and fear of her relatives, consented not to grant his request. And, O bull
of Bharata's race, Arka addressed her again and said, 'O princess, for my
sake, it shall not be sinful for thee to grant my wish.' Thus speaking
unto the daughter of Kuntibhoja, the illustrious Tapana--the illuminator
of the universe--gratified his wish. And of this connection there was
immediately born a son known all over the world as Karna accountred with
natural armour and with face brightened by ear-rings. And the heroic Karna
was the first of all wielders of weapons, blessed with good fortune, and
endued with the beauty of a celestial child. And after the birth of this
child, the illustrious Tapana granted unto Pritha her maidenhood and
ascended to heaven. And the princess of the Vrishni race beholding with
sorrow that son born of her, reflected intently upon what was then the
best for her to do. And from fear of her relatives she resolved to conceal
that evidence of her folly. And she cast her offspring endued with great
physical strength into the water. Then the well-known husband of Radha, of
the Suta caste, took up the child thus cast into the water, and he and his
wife brought him up as their own son. And Radha and her husband bestowed
on him the name of Vasusena (born with wealth) because he was born with a
natural armour and ear-rings. And endued as he was born with great
strength, as he grew up, he became skilled in all weapons. Possessed of
great energy, he used to adore the sun until his back was heated by his
rays (i.e., from dawn to midday), and during the hours of worship, there
was nothing on earth that the heroic and intelligent Vasusena would not
give unto the Brahmanas. And Indra desirous of benefiting his own son
Phalguni (Arjuna), assuming the form of a Brahmana, approached Vasusena on
one occasion and begged of him his natural armour. Thus asked Karna took
off his natural armour, and joining his hands in reverence gave it unto
Indra in the guise of a Brahmana. And the chief of the celestials accepted
the gift and was exceedingly gratified with Karna's liberality. He
therefore, gave unto him a fine dart, saying, 'That one (and one only)
among the celestials, the Asuras, men, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, and the
Rakshasas, whom thou desirest to conquer, shall be certainly slain with
this dart.'

"The son of Surya was before this known by the name of Vasusena. But since
he cut off his natural armour, he came to be called Karna (the cutter or
peeler of his own cover).'"

SECTION CXII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said. 'The large-eyed daughter of Kuntibhoja, Pritha by name,
was endued with beauty and every accomplishment. Of rigid vows, she was
devoted to virtue and possessed of every good quality. But though endued
with beauty and youth and every womanly attribute, yet it so happened that
no king asked for her hand. Her father Kuntibhoja seeing this, invited, O
best of monarchs, the princes and kings of other countries and desired his
daughter to select her husband from among her guests. The intelligent
Kunti, entering the amphitheatre, beheld Pandu--the foremost of the
Bharatas--that tiger among kings--in that concourse of crowned heads.
Proud as the lion, broad-chested, bull-eyed, endued with great strength,
and outshining all other monarchs in splendour, he looked like another
Indra in that royal assemblage. The amiable daughter of Kuntibhoja, of
faultless features, beholding Pandu--that best of men--in that assembly,
became very much agitated. And advancing with modesty, all the while
quivering with emotion, she placed the nuptial garland about Pandu's neck.
The other monarchs, seeing Kunti choose Pandu for her lord, returned to
their respective kingdoms on elephants, horses and cars, as they had come.
Then, O king, the bride's father caused the nuptial rites to be performed
duly. The Kuru prince blessed with great good fortune and the daughter of
Kuntibhoja formed a couple like Maghavat and Paulomi (the king and queen
of the celestials). And, O best of Kuru monarchs, king Kuntibhoja, after
the nuptials were over, presented his son-in-law with much wealth and sent
him back to his capital. Then the Kuru prince Pandu, accompanied by a
large force bearing various kinds of banners and pennons, and eulogised by
Brahmanas and great Rishis pronouncing benedictions, reached his capital.
And after arriving at his own palace, he established his queen therein.'"

SECTION CXIII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Some time after, Bhishma the intelligent son of
Santanu set his heart upon getting Pandu married to a second wife.
Accompanied by an army composed of four kinds of force, and also by aged
councillors and Brahmanas and great Rishis, he went to the capital of the
king of Madra. And that bull of the Valhikas--the king of Madra--hearing
that Bhishma had arrived, went out to receive him. And having received him
with respect, he got him to enter his palace. Arriving there, the king of
Madra offered unto Bhishma a white carpet for a seat; water to wash his
feet with, and usual oblation of various ingredients indicative of respect.
And when he was seated at ease, the king asked him about the reason of his
visit. Then Bhishma--the supporter of the dignity of the Kurus--addressed
the king of Madra and said, 'O oppressor of all foes, know that I have
come for the hand of a maiden. It hath been heard by us that thou hast a
sister named Madri celebrated for her beauty and endued with every virtue;
I would chose her for Pandu. Thou art, O king, in every respect worthy of
an alliance with us, and we also are worthy of thee. Reflecting upon all
this, O king of Madra, accept us duly.' The ruler of Madra, thus addressed
by Bhishma, replied, 'To my mind, there is none else than one of thy
family with whom I can enter into an alliance. But there is a custom in
our family observed by our ancestors, which, be it good or bad, I am
incapable of transgressing. It is well-known, and therefore is known to
thee as well, I doubt not. Therefore, it is not proper for thee to say to
me,--Bestow thy sister. The custom to which I allude is our family custom.
With us that is a virtue and worthy of observance. It is for this only, O
slayer of foes, I cannot give thee any assurance in the matter of thy
request.' On hearing this, Bhishma answered the king of Madra, saying, 'O
king, this, no doubt, is a virtue. The self-create himself hath said it.
Thy ancestors were observant of custom. There is no fault to find with it.
It is also well-known, O Salya, that this custom in respect of family
dignity hath the approval of the wise and the good.' Saying this Bhishma
of great energy gave unto Salya much gold both coined and uncoined, and
precious stones of various colours by thousands, and elephants and horses
and cars, and much cloth and many ornaments, and gems and pearls and
corals. And Salya accepting with a cheerful heart those precious gifts
then gave away his sister decked in ornaments unto that bull of the Kuru
race. Then the wise Bhishma, the son of the oceangoing Ganga, rejoiced at
the issue of his mission, took Madri with him, and returned to the Kuru
capital named after the elephant.

"Then selecting an auspicious day and moment as indicated by the wise for
the ceremony, King Pandu was duly united with Madri. And after the
nuptials were over, the Kuru king established his beautiful bride in
handsome apartments. And, O king of kings, that best of monarchs then gave
himself up to enjoyment in the company of his two wives as best he liked
and to the limit of his desires. And after thirty days had elapsed, the
Kuru king, O monarch, started from his capital for the conquest of the
world. And after reverentially saluting and bowing to Bhishma and the
other elders of the Kuru race, and with adieus to Dhritarashtra and others
of the family, and obtaining their leave, he set out on his grand campaign,
accompanied by a large force of elephants, horses, and cars, and well-
pleased with the blessings uttered by all around and the auspicious rites
performed by the citizens for his success. And Pandu, accompanied by such
a strong force marched against various foes. And that tiger among men--
that spreader of the fame of the Kurus--first subjugated the robber tribes
of asarna. He next turned his army composed of innumerable elephants,
cavalry, infantry, and charioteers, with standards of various colours
against Dhirga--the ruler of the kingdom of Maghadha who was proud of his
strength, and offended against numerous monarchs. And attacking him in his
capital, Pandu slew him there, and took everything in his treasury and
also vehicles and draught animals without number. He then marched into
Mithila and subjugated the Videhas. And then, O bull among men, Pandu led
his army against Kasi, Sumbha, and Pundra, and by the strength and prowess
of his arms spread the fame of the Kurus. And Pandu, that oppressor of
foes, like unto a mighty fire whose far-reaching flames were represented
by his arrows and splendour by his weapons, began to consume all kings
that came in contact with him. These with their forces, vanquished by
Pandu at the head of his army, were made the vassals of the Kurus. And all
kings of the world, thus vanquished by him, regarded him as the one single
hero on earth even as the celestials regard Indra in heaven. And the kings
of earth with joined palms bowed to him and waited on him with presents of
various kinds of gems and wealth, precious stones and pearls and corals,
and much gold and silver, and first-class kine and handsome horses and
fine cars and elephants, and asses and camels and buffaloes, and goats and
sheep, and blankets and beautiful hides, and cloths woven out of furs. And
the king of Hastinapura accepting those offerings retraced his steps
towards his capital, to the great delight of his subjects. And the
citizens and others filled with joy, and kings and ministers, all began to
say, 'O, the fame of the achievements of Santanu, that tiger among kings,
and of the wise Bharata, which were about to die, hath been revived by
Pandu. They who robbed before the Kurus of both territory and wealth have
been subjugated by Pandu--the tiger of Hastinapura--and made to pay
tribute.' And all the citizens with Bhishma at their head went out to
receive the victorious king. They had not proceeded far when they saw the
attendants of the king laden with much wealth, and the train of various
conveyances laden with all kinds of wealth, and of elephants, horses, cars,
kine, camels and other animals, was so long that they saw not its end.
Then Pandu, beholding Bhishma, who was a father to him, worshipped his
feet and saluted the citizens and others as each deserved. And Bhishma,
too, embracing Pandu as his son who had returned victorious after grinding
many hostile kingdoms, wept tears of joy. And Pandu, instilling joy into
the hearts of his people with a flourish of trumpets and conchs and kettle-
drums, entered his capital.'"