Chapter 318

Om. Let us honor Narayana. Let us honor Him, the most honorable Nara. Let us honor Her, the goddess called Saraswati. Jayatu Bhava!

“Janamejaya said, 

'O best of the reborn, what did the Kurus – my ancestors – the ones who were the sons and stepsons of Pritha – do next? Dhritarashtra’s sons had cheated them; they, along with their advisors, had been deceitful; the wicked ones had angered them; each side had begun strongly disliking the other; they had heard their enemies’ nasty words. Pritha’s sons and stepsons, ones with the same amount of power as Shakra, had been reduced to poverty; they had suddenly become overwhelmingly miserable. How did they spend their time in the forest? The princes had been cast into a sea of troubles – who walked behind them? How did the mahatmas carry themselves and gather food? Where did they build their shelter? O noteworthy ascetic – O supreme Brahmin – tell me what happened during their twelve-year exile. Tell me about the warriors who slew their enemies in the forest. They didn’t deserve to feel pain. Tell me about the princess who was the best female in the world, the one who was devoted to her husbands, the one who was nobly virtuous, and the one who always told the truth – how did she tolerate her tortuous life in the forest? O one whose wealth comes from his asceticism, tell me everything in detail. O Brahmin, I want to hear you tell the story of the ones who had plenty of power and luster. I am quite curious.’

Vaisampayana said,

‘The sons and stepsons of Pritha left Hastinapura, having lost the dice-game and having become enraged due to Dhritarashtra’s wicked sons. They left the city by way of the gate at Vardhamana, their weapons about them. They headed north, accompanied by Draupadi, Indrasena, other people, servants, and servants’ wives riding in swift-moving chariots (there being fourteen persons in all). When the citizens heard that they had left, they filled with overwhelming sorrow, criticizing Bhishma, Vidura, Drona, and Gautama. The citizens, having gathered together, talked amongst themselves without fear: Alas! Once wicked Duryodhana – one Suvala’s son, Karna, and Dusasana support –takes the throne, our families, we, and our homes will disappear. Doomed are our families, our ancestral power, and our virtue! Once that sinful, wretched man takes the throne – the one those wretches equally as sinful support – we are doomed! They’re gone! Oh, how can happiness return? Duryodhana feels malice for anyone above him – he no longer conducts himself well; he argues with members of his own family; he covets, is vain, is nasty, and is naturally cruel. The world is doomed once he takes the throne. We must, therefore, go to the place where the lofty-minded and compassionate adopted sons of Pandu have gone – they control their passions, rule their enemies, have modesty and fame, and devote themselves to that which proves their devotion!

"Upon saying this, the citizens went after the Pandavas. Once they caught up with them, they joined their palms together and spoke to Kunti’s and Madri’s sons: Blessings to you! You left us grieving – where will you go? We’d follow you anywhere! Surely it troubled us when we learned that you had lost unfairly to your relentless enemies! It would be fitting of you not to leave us – loving subjects and devoted friends – behind. We look out for your best interests and only do that which pleases you! We don’t want to let the one from Kuru’s line bring us to utter, overwhelming, and certain ruination. O taurine men, let us tell you what happens when you associate yourself with that which is good and what happens when you associate yourself with that which is bad! Now, flowers make cloth, water, soil, and sesame seeds smell good. Everything in life is affected by something. If one surrounds oneself with fools, truly we say that such a one will be disillusioned. But, if one surrounds oneself with those who are goodly and/or wise, one will be seen as one who acts out of virtue. So, liberation means surrounding oneself with those who are wise, elderly, honest, honest when it comes to acting, and/or possessive of abstentious merit. One should serve the ones whose knowledge of The Vedas, whose birth, whose acts, and whose associates are goodly. Associating oneself with such persons is a loftier deed than the act of studying the scriptures itself. Now, though we haven’t performed a single religious act, we shall become rich in abstention because we associate with those who are righteous. If we served sinners, we would turn to sin. Seeing, touching, talking to, and/or associating with a dishonest person leads to a loss of virtue. The man who does one or more of the above will never earn mental purity. Associating with those who are lowly hurts one’s ability to comprehend; wishy-washy people make one feel wishy-washy; associating oneself with those who are good will control that wishy-washiness. The qualities men speak of on earth as those that reward one with religious merit, worldly wealth, and physical pleasure – the ones The Vedas trumpet – the ones well-behaved individuals approve of – live in you, both unified and separate! Because you possess those qualities, we, wanting to do ourselves some good, want to live with you!

"Yudhishthira said: How blessed we are that people led by Brahmins say, out of love and compassion, that we have the qualities that have to do with merit, for, we do not have them. Speaking on behalf of my half-brothers, I tell you that there is one thing you can do for us. If we truly have the love and compassion we claim you have, do this one thing and one thing alone for our sake! Now Bhishma (our grandfather), King Dhritarashtra, Vidura, my mother, and almost all of my well-wishers are in Hastinapura. If you want to look out for our welfare, unite and take care of them – they are overburdened with sorrow and troubles. You, mourning for our departure, have traveled far. Return – tell your hearts to be tender and promise me that you’ll take care of my relatives. I feel most certain in my heart that this is the only thing you should do. It would satisfy me greatly and be the way to show me your utmost respect.

"Having thusly been encouraged by righteous Yudhishthira, the people loudly wailed as one: Alas, O king! Troubled and overwhelmed with sorrow, bringing Pritha’s son’s virtues to mind, they, reluctantly, asked the Pandavas’ permission to depart and went back they way they’d come.

"The citizens had thusly decided to stop following the Pandavas; they mounted their chariots and set off. Then, the Pandavas went to the mighty banyan tree called Pramana that grew on the Ganges’ shore. It was sunset; the heroic, adopted sons of Pandu gained purification by touching the holy body of water. The night was spent on the shores of the Ganges. So troubled by woe were they that the only thing they consumed was water from the Ganges. Now, there were Brahmins as well as others who had followed the Pandavas and lain down with them to sleep when they had done so – Brahmins who kept the sacrificial fire burning and Brahmins who did not do so. The devotees and relatives of said Brahmins were with them. The king, basking in the glow of the ones who said the name Brahma, shone brightly. The evening – one that involved the Brahmins lighting sacred fires, chanting Vedic chants, and Brahmins talking amongst themselves – was both beautiful and terrible. The supreme Brahmins, their voices as sweet as swans’ voices, spent the night putting the supreme Kuru that was the king at ease.’"

Chapter 319

“Vaisampayana said,

‘At daybreak the next morning, the Brahmins who supported themselves by begging came before the honorable-deed-doing Pandavas who were at the edge of the forest. King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, said to them: We, truly sorrowful creatures whose wealth, kingdom, and everything else was stolen from them, are about to enter the forest. We must forage for food or hunt for it. The forest is quite a dangerous place; it is filled with snakes and carnivores. Methinks one would surely feel quite lonely and miserable if one lived in this forest. If Brahmins were to suffer, perhaps the gods would lose themselves. Surely suffering Brahmins would overwhelm me! O Brahmins, I therefore ask that you go back the way you came.

"The Brahmins replied: Remember, O king that we are on the same path. It would ill-suit you to turn us away, for, we follow the true path as your loving devotees. Even the gods feel compassionate towards their devotees; they have true compassion for Brahmins who lead restrictive lives!

"But Yudhishthira said: Each one of us here has been reborn; I am also devoted to the Brahmins’ caste. Surely dire poverty has overpowered me and clouded my mind! To think that my own half-brothers will have to gather fruit, gather roots, and hunt the deer that live in this forest! They’re at a loss for words due to the mounting grief that came out of their troubles, Draupadi’s troubles, and the loss of the kingdom. Alas! How could I ask them to do the things that bring them pain if they feel so troubled?

"But the Brahmins said: Do not let anxiety enter your heart, O king, just because we want to work for you. We’ll feed ourselves, follow you, and keep your best interests in mind by way of meditating and praying. We’ll tell you pleasant things to both entertain you and cheer ourselves up.

"But Yudhishthira said: Methinks you tell the truth – being around those who have been reborn always pleases me! But, alas! My lowered status will cause others to scold me! You don’t deserve to feel trouble out of love for me; you shouldn’t have to survive off the food you’ve grown yourselves out of love for me. Oh, curses on the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra!

"Upon saying so, the grieving king paused and took a seat on the ground. But then, an educated Brahmin named Saunaka who knew his self and was a yogi master when it came to Sankya yoga, said to the king: Fools, not wise men, let thousands of things fill them with grief or terror each and every day. Sensible men, men such as you, most certainly never let themselves be tortured and disillusioned by the acts that go against right knowledge and cause one to lose certain liberation; such things are wicked through and through. Within you, O king, is a kind of comprehension whose qualities are eight in number; the qualities that protect one from wickedness; the qualities that come as a result of studying The Vedas and studying the scriptures. Men such as you are never at a loss for words, are never about to become impoverished, and are never about to become as physically or mentally ill as their friends. Listen as I recite the ancient slokas noteworthy Jananka once recited that had to do with self-control. ‘People all over the world suffer from physical and mental ailments. Let me tell you how to cure physical and mental illnesses. Bodies become ill if a disease is caught, if something painful is touched, if the body is overworked, or if desire comes into play. Physical illnesses can be cured with medicine, but mental illnesses can be cured by meditating like a yogi, seeking forgiveness. That’s why sensible doctors try to cure mental illnesses by saying pleasant things to the patient and offering them something alluring. A hot iron bar thrust into a water-container heats up the water; mental illness leads to body-ache. Water puts out a fire; right knowledge unclouds the mind. Once the mind is unclouded, the body will stop aching. If one’s mind fills with sorrow, methinks love is to blame. Love makes all creatures miserable; it makes them feel each and every variety of woe. Truly love is behind all misery, all fear, all joy, all grief, and all varieties of pain. Love gives rise to reason; love makes one love worldly goods. Love and the love of worldly goods are the root of all evil even though we act out of love and even though the love of worldly goods is worse than love. Insignificant flames, when force-fed to a tree-hollow, burn the tree right down to its roots; love, even the slightest bit, ruins one’s virtue and wealth. The man who gives up his worldly possessions is not considered to be one who renounced the world. The one who can recognize the world’s problems all while being a part of it can be considered a being who has truly renounced the world. Wicked zeal does not rule such a one; such a one’s soul depends on nothing. So, do not love your friends or accumulated wealth too much. If one has knowledge, there is no need for such a one to love his self. A lotus-leaf is never drenched by water; men’s souls know the difference between that which is temporary and that which lasts forever. Men devoted to pursuing that which is immortal know that the scriptures’ knowledge purifies and never let love move them. If love moves a man, desire tortures him and desire makes his heart yearn for worldly possessions greatly. Truly doing so is a sin; it’s seen as the crux of anxiety. The tortuous thirst for worldly possessions that is chock full of sin encourages one to do that which is wicked. Lose your thirst for it and find happiness; wicked people aren’t ever able to lose it. As the body ages, the thirst does not lose its strength. The powerful thirst is like a deadly disease! It neither comes into being nor dissipates. It lives within the heart and destroys the body like a fire whose origin is unknown. Logs are swallowed by the fire they helped create; a person with a wicked soul, due to the covetry in his heart, will be destroyed. Living creatures dread dying; wealthy men always look for kings, thieves, water, fire, and members of their own family. A bit of meat can be snatched away in the air by a bird; a morsel of meat can be snatched away by a carnivore on the ground; a piece of bait can be snatched by a fish; a man’s riches can be stolen anytime and anywhere. Riches, to one man, may seem poisonous. To another, riches may be as pleasing as a wife. The latter does not know of true happiness. And so, getting richer leads to more covetry and foolhardiness. Wealth is the root of stinginess, boastfulness, arrogance, fear, and anxiety! Wise men know that riches make one miserable. Whilst they get richer or try to remain as rich, men drown in a sea of misery. Men die all because of money! Leaving one’s riches behind makes one miserable; persons who receive charity become hostile with one another because of money! Becoming wealthy comes with great misery, so one should not feel like impoverishment is terrible. Only fools find impoverishment unpleasant. Wise men, however, remain happy at all times. There is no way to quench the thirst one has for wealth. Contentment is the loftiest variety of happiness; wise men say that the loftiest thing to pursue is contentment. Wise men know how untrustworthy youthfulness, beauty, life, hoarded treasure, prosperity, and associations with loved ones is – do not covet any of those things. One shouldn’t try to get richer, ignoring the pain that doing so brings. All rich people have troubles; virtuous men praise the ones who have no desire to get rich. When it comes to the ones who chase after wealth for the sake of virtue, such people ought not chase after wealth in the first place. It’s better to leave mud alone altogether than to have to wash it off your body.’ O Yudhishthira, it would be fitting of you not to covet. If you want to have virtue, liberate yourself from worldly possessions!

"But Yudhishthira said: O Brahmin, I don’t want to get rich just to enjoy it when I do so. I want to get rich to support the Brahmin caste – greed does not move me to do so. Why should one be a family man, O Brahmin, if cherishing and supporting those who follow after him is impossible? All creatures divvy up the food they’ve prepared for their dependants. A family man ought to feed the Yatis and Brahmacharins a portion of the food he’s prepared for himself. Within the houses of good men should always be seats made of grass, a place to sleep, water to bathe with or drink, and pleasant things said. An exhausted guest should always be offered a bed, a standing guest should always be offered a seat, a thirsty guest should always be offered water, and a hungry guest should always be offered food. A guest deserves to be met with a contented gaze, a cheerful heart, and pleasantries. One’s host should arise, move toward him, offer him a seat, and show him devotion. That is a show of undying morale. Those who do not perform the Agnihotra sacrifice, take care of bulls, or cherish kinsmen, guests, friends, sons, wives, and servants fill themselves with sin due to their ignorance. No one should cook his own food alone; no one should kill an animal without first dedicating it to the gods, Pitris, and guests. No one should eat the food that’s already been set aside for the gods and Pitris. Scattering some food on the ground in the morning and in the evening to worship dogs, Chandalas (untouchable men whose lot in life is to dispose of corpses), and birds means one is performing a Viswedeva sacrifice. He who eats the Vighasa is seen as one who’s eaten ambrosia. The food leftover from an offering to the gods and the Pitris is seen as ambrosia. The food leftover from a guest- feeding is Vighasa and Vighasa is ambrosia. Feeding one’s guest is equivalent to performing a sacrifice. Now, there are five gifts that are equivalent to a sacrifice: the pleasant glances a host gives to his guest during a sacrifice, the attention a host gives to his guest during a sacrifice, the pleasantries between host and guest during a sacrifice, the respect a host has for his guest shown by his devotion during a sacrifice, and the food and drink offered to the guest during a sacrifice. The one who easily gives to a weary traveler whom he has never met before earns lofty merit. The one who acts like and is a family man earns lofty holy merit. O Brahmin, what do you think about all this?

"So, Saunaka said: Alas, the world is full of non-sequiturs! What brings the good person shame builds up the bad person! Fools do the things they think are meritous to satisfy their appetites in the afterlife, moved by ignorance, zeal, and their enslaving senses! Like a charioteer gone mad due to stubborn and wicked horses, men such as these are led astray due to alluring senses and wide-open eyes. If any one sense detects an object, desire to enjoy that object leaps into the person’s heart. Once the heart begins enjoying the thing a sense wanted to enjoy, a wish is thereby granted and a decision is made. Then, like a moth to a flame, a man leaps into the fire of temptation – the arrows from the desired object (the crux of his determination) have pierced him! Blinded by sensual pleasure, something he chases after without pause, he drowns in the sea of dark ignorance and foolishness. He was led to believe that sea was a sea of contentment; he now does not know himself. Like a wheel that never stops turning, every creature, out of ignorance, the need to act, and desire, falls into some kind of dark-ignorance-and-idiocy sea, going from one rebirth to the next whilst wandering through the worlds of existence – the world of the Brahmin, the world of the grass-blade, the world of water, the world of soil, and the world of air.

"This is what happens to ignorant people. Let me now tell you what happens to wise men who want virtue they can make a profit from and who want liberation. The Vedas ask us to act but not to think about acting. So, one must act, abandon the self that has nothing to gain, perform sacrifices, study The Vedas, give gifts, be penitent, be truthful, act earnestly, forgive, tame the senses, and abandon desire. These are the things one can do to follow the true path. The first half of these belongs to the Pitris. Do them without the desire to gain anything in return. The remaining six are the things the pious do to earn the gods’ Heaven. Pure-spirited individuals should always do all twelve. He who wishes to tame the world for the sake of liberation ought to always lay aside his plans, tame his senses effectively, keep to his particular vows in a strict manner, serve his teacher with devotion, keep to a strict diet, study The Vedas devotedly, and abandon the thought of acting – acting is lowly; it holds back the heart. Abandoning desire and renouncing desire and greed, the gods earn prosperity. Because they know the virtue that comes from abandoning all plans, the Rudras, Sadhyas, Adityas, Vasus, and Aswins rule all creatures. Be like them, O son of Kunti. O Bharata tribesman, you must act only when you have reason to, you must try to be a successful yogi, and you must be ascetically austere. You’ve been successful when it comes to paying the debt you owe your male and female ancestors and when it comes to performing sacrifices. Try to be successful when it comes to penitence; doing so serves those who are reborn. He whose abstentious success crowns him can reach any goal he has. You must make all your dreams come true by being ascetic.’”
 

Chapter 320

“Vaisampayana said:

‘The son of Kunti named Yudhishthira, having thusly been addressed by Saunaka, went, surrounded by his half-brothers, to the priest and said: I am on my way to the forest and the Brahmins who know The Vedas are following me. Many tragedies have given me trouble; I cannot support them. Though I cannot leave them behind, I have no food to offer them. What should be done, holy one?

"Upon reflecting for a moment in order to find out what the right path to take was, using his powers as a yogi, Dhaumya, the supremely virtuous man, said to Yudhishthira: Long ago, every living, created thing was deeply troubled by hunger. Like a father, the sun, Savita, looked down upon them compassionately. First, Savita entered the downward slope of the north, soaked up water with his rays, returned to the downslope of the south, and hovered above the earth. His heat dwelled within himself. While the sun hovered over the earth, the Lord of Vegetables (the moon) turned the sun’s vapors into clouds and sent them down to the ground in the form of water. This made the plants grow. Then, the sun, bathed in moonlight, turned into a holy vegetable that had six different flavors after seeds had sprouted. Every creature on earth eats this vegetable. And so, food gives creatures life (solar energy). This is why the sun is the Father of All Creatures. Let him, O Yudhishthira, be your shelter. Every noteworthy king from an untainted line who never did anything wrong is said to have been greatly ascetic; such greatness led to the peoples’ liberation. Great Kartavirya, Vainya, and Nahusha, due to their abstentious meditation that vows preceded, took the great troubles of their people away. O virtuous one, your actions purify you; do the same as they did and start being greatly austere. O Bharatan, I ask that you support those who have been reborn with a pure heart.’
     "Janamejaya said,

‘How did King Yudhishthira, the taurine Kuru, worship the wonderful-looking Sun for the Brahmins’ sake?’"

"Vaisampayana said,

‘Listen closely, O king, whilst purifying yourself and clearing your mind completely. O King of Kings, give me a time. I will tell you everything. O noteworthy one, Dhaumya told the mahatma, the son of Pritha, what Sun’s one-hundred-eight names were. Dhaumya said: Surya, Aryaman, Bhaga, Twastri, Pusha, Arka, Savitri, Ravi, Gabhastimat, Aja, Kala, Mrityu, Dhatri, Prabhakara, Prithibi, Apa, Teja, Kha, Vayu (the lone protector), Soma, Vrihaspati, Sukra, Budha, Angaraka, Indra, Vivaswat, Diptanshu, Suchi, Sauri, Sanaichara, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Skanda, Vaisravana, Yama, Vaidyutagni, Jatharagni, Aindhna, Tejasampati, Dharmadhwaja, Vedakartri, Vedanga, Vedavahana, Krita, Treta, Dwapara, Kali (the one that’s quite polluted), Kala, Kastha, Muhurta, Kshapa, Yama, Kshana, Samvatsarakara, Aswatha, Kalachakra, Bibhavasu, Purusha, Saswata, Yogin, Vyaktavyakta, Sanatana, Kaladhyaksha, Prajadhyaksha, Viswakarma, Tamounda, Varuna, Sagara, Ansu, Jimuta, Jivana, Arihan, Bhutasraya, Bhutapati, Srastri, Samvartaka, Vanhi, Sarvadi, Alolupa, Ananta, Kapila, Bhanu, Kamada, Sarvatomukha, Jaya, Visala, Varada, Manas, Suparna, Bhutadi, Sighraga, Prandharana, Dhanwantari, Dhumaketu, Adideva, Aditisuta, Dwadasatman, Aravindaksha, Pitri, Matri, Pitamaha, Swargadwara, Prajadwara, Mokshadwara, Tripistapa, Dehakarti, Prasantatman, Viswatman, Viswatomukha, Characharatman, Sukhsmatman, and Maitreya (a merciful being). These are the other names of Surya, one with an immeasurable amount of energy. Brahma, the self-created one, has said so. I bow down before You, Bhaskara, in order to earn more prosperity. O Sun, You, blazing like gold or fire, are worshipped by the gods, Pitris, and Yakshas. The Asuras, Nisacharas, and Siddhas adore You. The one with the one-track mind who sings the following hymn at sunrise will earn a wife, children, riches, the memories from his previous lives, patience, and other memories. A man ought to focus his mind and sing this hymn. If he does, he will protect himself from grief and forest-fires; anything he wishes for will come true.

"Once he had heard the fitting words of Dhaumya, righteous Yudhishthira, his heart both focused and purified, meditated in a self-restraining way. The desire to support the Brahmins moved him. He worshipped the day-maker with flowers and articles; he made ablutions. Standing in the stream, Yudhishthira turned his face towards the God of Day. Virtuous Yudhishthira touched the water of the Ganges, his senses totally controlled, concentrated, and stood there with a rapt soul, engaged in the type of yoga called Pranayama. Once he had purified himself and controlled his speech-pattern, he sang a hymn that praised the Sun:

"O Sun, You are the universe’s eye. You are the soul of anything with a body. You are the origin of all things. You personify the things men of faith do. You shelter the ones who know the mysteries of the soul; You support all yogis. You are an unbolted door. You shelter those looking for liberation. You support and explore the world; you, out of pure compassion, support it and make it holy. Brahmins who know The Vedas go to You, show their love for You when the time is right, and sing the hymns that come from various sections of The Vedas. Rishis adore You; Siddhas, Charanas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Guhyakas, and Nagas, wishing to have their wishes granted, follow Your flying chariot through the sky. You are the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, and the twelve Adityas. Prajapati, Vashatkara, Upendra (Vishnu), Mahendra, and the divine Vaimanikas have earned success upon worshipping You. Supreme Vidyadharas have gotten everything they’ve ever wanted by offering You garlands made from Indian corals, a divine and quite fragrant plant. Because they’ve loved You and You alone, the Guhyas and the seven kinds of Pitris have become top-ranked. The Vasus, Manilas, Rudras, Sadhyas, Marichipas, Valikhilyas, and Siddhas, because they bow down before You, earn superiority. Nothing I know of in the seven worlds, including Brahma’s world, is beyond You. True, other great and zealous beings exist, but none can match Your brightness and energy-level. All light is truly within You; You are the Lord of All Light. Within You are both the five elements and all intelligence, all knowledge, all asceticism, and all the qualities of an ascetic. Now, the one who draws Pinaka back (Vishnu) has a discus; the discus humbles the Asuras’ pride. It has a beautiful center; Your energy let Viswakarman forge it. In summer, You use your rays to soak up moisture from anything with a body, from plants, and from things made of liquid. Then, You return that moisture to the earth during the monsoon season. Your rays bring heat and scorch things; they, like clouds, roar; they flash like lightning bolts and make it pour during the monsoon season. You relieve the suffering that comes from chilly blasts in a way that fire, a shelter, and wool blankets cannot match. You brighten the world and its thirteen islands with Your rays. You look out for the three worlds. If You chose not to rise, the universe would go blind and the educated would not be able to try earning virtue, riches, and other rewards. Due to Your grace, the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas can do their duties and perform their sacrifices. The ones who know about chronology say that You are the daybreak and sunset of a Brahmin, something that has one-thousand complete ages. You rule the Manus, their sons, Manwantaras, and their rulers. At the end of the world, the fire known as Samvartaka that comes out of Your wrath will swallow the three worlds and exist by itself. Clouds that Your rays created; clouds coming in a variety of colors, clouds that the elephant named Airavata and the thunderbolt accompany, will start the planned-for floods. You will become twelve different suns and, with the help of Your rays, swallow the ocean again. You are called Indra, Vishnu, Brahma, Prajapati, Fire, The Subtle Mind, Lord, The Immortal Brahma, Hansa, Savitri, Bhanu, Ansumalin, Vrishakapi, Vivaswan, Mihira, Pusha, Mitra, Dharma, The Thousand-Rayed One, Aditya, Tapana, The Lord of Rays, Martanda, Arka, Ravi, Surya, Saranya, The Day-Maker, Divakara, Suptasaspti, Dhumakeshin, and Virochana. People say You move at the speed of sound, destroy darkness, and own yellow-colored horses. The one who adores You respectfully on the sixth or seventh lunar day, humble and with peace-of-mind, will earn Lakshmi’s grace. He who adores and worships You with a one-track mind will be rescued from all danger, agony, and troubles. He who says that You, the universal soul, are omnipresent will have a long life, be freed from sin, and never be subjected to a disease. O Lord of All Food, it would be fitting of You to give me plenty of food – I need food to respectfully entertain my guests. I bow down to the devotees of Yours who take shelter at Your feet – Mathara, Aruna, Danda, Asani, Kshuva, and others. I bow down to the divine mothers who belong to all creatures – Kshuva, Maitri, and the others. May I, the one who is begging them, be delivered by them.

"That was how, O great king, Yudhishthira showed his love for the sun, the world-purifier. The Day-Maker, the self-luminous one, and the one that blazed like fire, the hymn having pleased him, appeared before the adopted son of Pandu. Vivaswan said: Each of your wishes shall be granted. You will have enough food for twelve years. Take this copper container – O one who keeps to his excellent vows, let Panchali hold on to it without eating the food therein. A never-ending supply of fruits, roots, meats, and vegetables will be cooked in your kitchen. Fourteen years from now, you will lord over your kingdom.

"Upon saying so, the god disappeared. The one who wants a favor done for him will, if he sings that hymn while focusing his mind and separating himself ascetically, have that favor done for him by the Sun, no matter how difficult to do it it may be. If the man or a woman who sings or listens to that hymn daily wishes for a son, riches, or knowledge, he or she will have their wish or wishes granted. If the man or a woman singing this hymn daily at sunrise and sunset is ever overwhelmed by danger or enchained, he or she will be calmed or freed. Brahma recited the words to that hymn to noteworthy Shakra, Shakra told them to Narada, Narada told them to Dhaumya, and Dhaumya told them to Yudhishthira. Yudhishthira, upon hearing them, had all his wishes granted. By way of that hymn’s virtue, one will always be victorious on the battlefield and become quite wealthy. He who sings that hymn will move from the world of sin to the world of the sun.

"Once his wish had been granted, the virtuous son of Kunti came out of the water, grasped Dhaumya’s feet lovingly, and grasped his half-brother’s feet lovingly. Then, O praised one, he wandered along with Draupadi to the kitchen, having been shown love by her. After that, the adopted son of Pandu made ready to cook the food they’d eat that day. The pure, small amount of food was prepared; it possessed the four kinds of tastes. But then, the small amount of food became a great amount of food whose supply knew no end. Yudhishthira used that food to feed those who had been reborn. Once the Brahmins and his younger half-brother had been fed, Yudhishthira ate the leftovers (the Vighasa). Once he had eaten, Prishata’s daughter ate the leftovers. At that point, the food set aside for the day was no more.

"Having thusly had his wish granted by way of the Day-Maker, the adopted son of Pandu, one as shiny as that divinity, began to entertain the Brahmins according to their wishes. The sons and stepsons of Pritha obeyed their priest and, on auspicious lunar days, on days when there were auspicious constellations, and on days when there were auspicious conjunctions, performed sacrifices, obeying the laws, scriptures, and mantras that had to do with them. After the sacrifices had been performed, the adopted sons of Pandu, blessed by way of the auspicious rituals, blessed by Dhaumya’s presence, and surrounded by the Brahmins, set off for Kamyaka Forest.’”

Chapter 321

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Once the Pandavas had left for the forest, Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika with knowledge in his eye, became overwhelmingly sorrowful. Sitting comfortably, he said to Vidura, the one with a unique variety of intelligence: Your comprehension level is as great as that of Bhargava (the great teacher of the Asuras also known as Sukra; the one with supreme intelligence). You know everything down to the last detail when it comes to morality; you treat each and every Kauravan the same. What would be the right thing for them and me to do? Things have happened, Vidura, and I wonder what we should do now. If the people feel no bonhomie for me, what can I do to stop them from bringing us to utter ruin? Tell us all – you know what can be done in any situation.

"So Vidura said: O king, virtue is the crux of the three different kinds of plans (profit- , pleasure-, and liberation-based). Wise men say that a kingdom is founded on virtue. So, O king, cherish your children as well as the adopted sons of Pandu both to the best of your ability and virtuously. Virtue has been deceived by a bunch of wicked-souled men, men led by the son of Suvala. This happened when your sons asked Yudhishthira, a righteous man, to play a dice-game with him, only to make sure he lost. This was a grave sin, O king. To remove this sin, O Kurus’ chief, the following must be done in hopes that good men feel bonhomie for him once again. Let the adopted sons of Pandu win back what you gave to them. Truly the following statement is about supreme morality: A king ought to be satisfied with what he has and never covet what another has. Your good name would not suffer, the two families would be at peace with one another, and righteousness would be yours. Your top priority, then, is to please the Pandavas and shame Sakuni. If thou want to give your sons’ good fortune back to them, O king, you must do this quickly. If not, the Kurus will surely undergo total ruination – an angry Bhimasena and an angry Arjuna would never let a single one of their enemies escape with their life. He who has Arjuna as one of his soldiers can have any wish of his granted, for, Arjuna is skilled when it comes to weapons. He who has Gandiva, the most powerful of all earthly weapons in the world – a bow – is sure to have any wish of his granted. He who has Bhima as one of his soldiers is sure to have any wish of his granted. As soon as your son came into this world, I told you to abandon him. I told you to do so for the good of your line. But, no! I have also told you what would happen to you, O king. If you take my advice, you won’t be sorry. If your son agrees to rule peaceably alongside the adopted sons of Pandu, you, spending the rest of your life in joy, won’t be sorry. If you cannot fathom the idea, just abandon your child for the sake of your own happiness. Forget Duryodhana and put the adopted son of Pandu on the throne. O king, let Ajatasatru, zeal-free, rule the world virtuously. Then, the kings of the world, like Vaisyas, will honor us forthwith. Let Duryodhana, Sakuni, and Karna go to the Pandavas quickly and serve them, O king. Let Dusasana, before the court, ask Bhimasena as well as the daughter of Drupada to forgive him. Make peace with Yudhishthira by setting him on the throne respectfully. There is nothing more I can say to you. Do this, O king, if you wish to be proper.

"Dhritarashtra said: The things you’ve said before the assembly, O Vidura, the things you said about the Pandavas and me, were meant to build them up instead of build me up. I cannot even fathom such a suggestion. Is this truly what you think is best? Whilst you spoke, I saw that you were on the Pandavas’ side and realized that you were not my friend. How could I abandon my son for the adopted sons of Pandus’ sake? Yes, they are my sons, but Duryodhana is the one who came from me. Who could, not taking any sides, even suggest to me that I forsake my self for others? I may have the utmost respect for you, Vidura, but your words are evil. Stay or go; do what you will. An unfaithful wife always leaves her husband, no matter how much she’s tempted to do otherwise.

"Dhritarashtra, upon saying this, O king, leapt to his feet and entered the inner quarters. Vidura, upon saying: His race is doomed left for the place where Pritha’s sons were.’”

Chapter 322

“Vaisampayana said,

‘The taurine Bharata tribesmen – the Pandavas, wishing to live in the forest with their followers, left the Ganges riverbank and moved toward Kurukshetra Field. Upon making ablutions within the Saraswati, Drisadwati, and Yamuna rivers, they went from forest to forest, heading west. Some time later, they saw Kamyaka before them in the forest. The favorite dwelling-place of munis, it was located beside a flat, uncivilized part of the Saraswati riverbank. O Bharata tribesman, the heroes, within a forest that had plenty of birds and deer, were both entertained and made comfortable by munis. Now Vidura, one who always wanted to see the Pandavas, had ridden in a lone chariot to Kamyaka Forest, a place that had plenty of good things. He, coming to Kamyaka Forest by way of a chariot swift-moving horses drew, saw righteous Yudhishthira sitting with Draupadi in a place of rest with Yudhishthira’s half-brothers and some Brahmins around them. When he saw Vidura walking toward them quickly from far off, the virtuous king said to his brother Bhimasena: What news does Kshata bring? Has Sakuni asked him to invite us to play another dice-game? Does small-minded Sakuni mean to take our weapons away from us by way of a dice-game? O Bhimasena, I must rise to any challenge and go if bidden. If it seems uncertain whether or not Gandiva belongs to us, surely our ownership of the kingdom will turn questionable.

"So, O king, the Pandavas arose and welcomed Vidura. Having been welcomed by them, the one from Ajamida’s line, Vidura, sat in the middle of the crowd and asked typical questions about his health. After Vidura had rested awhile, the taurine men asked him why he had come. So, Vidura told them about Dhritarashtra, Amvika’s son.
Vidura said: O Ajatasatru, you know that I am Dhritarashtra’s servant. He called me to him, and, upon honoring me, said: ‘Things have happened. What would be good for the Pandavas as well as myself to do?’ I said what was beneficial to both the Kauravas and Dhritarashtra. He didn’t like what I had to say at all; I had to stop there. Nevertheless, O Pandavas, the things I suggested would do much good. Amvika’s son did not take my suggestion as if he were an ill man refusing medicine; my words failed to please him. O one who has no enemy, if Wickedness and Deception are part of a pure line, a man from such a line cannot return to virtue’s path; Dhritarashtra cannot return to that path. A young virgin will not want a sixty-year-old husband; Dhritarashtra did not like what I had to say. Surely destruction will overwhelm the Kurus’ line! Surely Dhritarashtra will never become very wealthy. Water that falls onto a lotus-leaf must roll down it; my advice will never have an effect on Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra told me in anger: ‘Go where you will, Bharata tribesman! I will never ask you how I could be a better ruler again!’ O supreme king, Dhritarashtra left me and I need your goodly advice. Let me repeat what I said before the court. Hear me; keep my words in mind. You know the sayings: ‘A wise man deals with the weighty wickedness of his enemies patiently, building up his resources like men building a fire gradually; such a man rules the world alone.’ ‘He who shares his wealth with his followers will have his followers share in his troubles; the best way to win followers is to do this.’ ‘He who has followers gets to rule the world.’ O Pandava, divvy up your riches among your followers, be honest with them, and say pleasant things to them. Share your food with them, too. Don’t boast about yourself in their presence. Doing these five things makes any king richer.

"Yudhishthira said: You said something that proved you are highly intelligent and undistracted by zeal. I will take your advice. Anything else you advise me to do with respect for time and place will be done to a t gingerly.’"

Chapter 323

Vaisampayana said,

‘O king, once Vidura had visited the Pandavas’ home, Dhritarashtra, O Bharata tribesman, one with extraordinary wisdom, asked forgiveness for what he had done. Thinking about Vidura’s great wisdom when it came to war, peace, and the future swelling of the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra, remembering what had happened with Vidura and feeling pain because of it, came to the door of the Hall of State and collapsed, senseless, before the kings-in-waiting. Upon regaining consciousness, the king stood up and said to the nearby Sanjaya: My brother and friend is like the God of Justice! When I think of him this day, my heart grieves, burning. Bring me the brother of mine who knows morality by heart! Upon saying so, the king began to weep bitterly. Asking for forgiveness, burning inside, overwhelmed with sorrow by the thought of Vidura, the king, out of brotherly love, said more to Sanjaya: O Sanjaya, find out for me whether or not my brother, one my anger led my wretched self to banish, is still alive. My wise brother, one whose intelligence is immeasurable, has never done anything wrong; he hasn’t even sinned in a trivial way. Nevertheless, I am behind the grievous wrong done to him. Find him, wise one, and bring him to me. If you cannot, Sanjaya, surely I will kill myself.

"When he heard the king’s words, nodded, said 'It shall be so', and headed in the direction of Kamyaka Forest. He arrived there, having lost no time; he came to the place where the adopted sons of Pandu lived. He saw the deer-skin-clad Yudhishthira sitting near Vidura, amid thousands of Brahmins and among his protective half-brothers. Yudhishthira looked like Purandara, when surrounded by divinities. Upon nearing Yudhishthira, Sanjaya worshipped him and was treated with respect by Bhima, Arjuna, and the twins. Yudhishthira asked the typical questions in regards to his health. Once Sanjaya had sat down, he being at ease, he gave the reason why he had come: O Kshata, King Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, has brought you to mind. Lose no time in going to him and rejuvenating him. O best of men, the leonine king has ordered you to return – doing so would be fitting of you. Do so, if the Kurus’ princes – the supreme men – give you permission.

"Having thusly been addressed by Sanjaya, the intelligent one named Vidura who always clung to his relatives was allowed, by way of Yudhishthira, to return to the city that was named for an elephant. After he went before the king, the greatly zealous one named Dhritarashtra, the one who was the son of Amvika, said to Vidura: Because fortune smiled upon me, and just for that reason, Vidura, you, an innocent creature who knows morality by heart, came to me due your recollection of me. O taurine Bharata tribesman, when you departed, I pictured myself tossing and turning day and night; I saw my dead, mortal body! Then, the king sat Vidura on his lap, smelled his head, and added: Forgive me for what I said, innocent one! And Vidura replied: I forgive you, O king. You are my better; I owe you the utmost respect. I am here; I returned because I desperately wanted to see you. Virtuous men, O tigrine man, naturally feel for those who are in trouble. It’s not like I did not think about my decision – no, I am partial to the Pandavas. O Bharata tribesman, your children are as dear to me as Pandu’s adopted sons. But, as you know, they are in trouble – my heart goes out to them.

"After the two noteworthy brothers, Vidura and Dhritarashtra, had apologized to each other, each felt immensely pleased.’”

Chapter 324

“Vaisampayana said,

‘When he heard that Vidura had returned and when he heard that the king had soothed hum, the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra grieved and burned. His ability to comprehend clouded by ignorance, he called upon the son of Suvala, Karna, and Dusasana. To them he said: Educated Vidura, wise Dhritarashtra’s minister, has returned. He’s the adopted sons of Pandu’s friend; he always tries to help them. As long as Vidura doesn’t make sure that they return, you are free to tell me what the right thing would be for me to do. If I see the sons and stepsons of Pritha again, I’ll starve myself for no reason. I can drink poison, hang myself, leap into a fire, or slay myself but I cannot tolerate seeing the Pandavas get richer.

"So Sakuni said: O king – O Lord of the Earth – how it seems that Foolishness has overtaken you! The Pandavas are in the forest now, having foresworn to do so. They can’t come back prematurely. O taurine Bharata tribesman, the Pandavas are always honest. They wouldn’t return prematurely, even if your father told them to. Even if they, obeying the command to return, returned to the capital, thereby breaking their promise, we would simply act indifferent, pretending to abide by the king. We’d keep a close eye on the Pandavas and do what we think is right.
And Dusasana said: O greatly wise uncle of mine, you tell the truth. I always agree with what you have to say. And Karna said: O Duryodhana, we are your servants. O king, we are all in agreement. The adopted sons of Pandu, their passions controlled to a t, will not return prematurely. Even if they did, acting out of foolishness, you’d win at a dice-game against them.

"Having thusly been spoken to by Karna, King Duryodhana, his heart cheerless, turned his face away from his advisors. Taking note of this, Karna widened his beautiful eyes, and, gesticulating zealously out of anger, spoke to Duryodhana, Dusasana, and the son of Suvala: This is my opinion, princes – listen well! We serve King Duryodhana with joined palms. We ought to please him. But, because we also serve Dhritarashtra, we cannot always look out for him at a moment’s notice and act accordingly. We should don our mail-coats, take up our weapons, mount our chariots, and slay the Pandavas, those forest-dwellers, as one. Once the Pandavas have said their last words and entered the mysterious spirit-world, we and the sons of Dhritarashtra will be at peace! But, they must continue to be in distress and be sorrowful; they must continue to be in need of help if we are to be any sort of match for them. These are my thoughts!

"Upon hearing the charioteer’s son’s words, the rest applauded for some time and told him they heartily agreed. They joined him on his chariot, piqued, and drove off to slay the adopted sons of Pandu. But pure-souled Krishna-Dwaipayana, seeing by way of his foresight that they had departed, met them and demanded that they come to a halt. Turning them back, the holy one whom all the worlds worshipped then went to the king whose wisdom made up for his blindness. The king was sitting comfortably; the holy one spoke.’”

Chapter 325

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vyasa said: O wise Dhritarashtra, hear what I have to say! What I say will benefit the Kauravas. O mighty-armed one, it does not please me to know that the Pandavas, upon losing at an unfair dice-game by way of Duryodhana and some others, were banished to the forest! O Bharata tribesman, at the beginning of the fourteenth year, they, bringing their woes to mind, could shower the Kauravas with deadly weapons or poison! Why has your wicked-hearted and sinful son, one whom anger always impassions, gone out to kill the adopted sons of Pandu because of the Pandus’ rightful kingdom? Restrain him; shut his mouth. If he tries to slay the exiled Pandavas, he will die. You are as honest as wise Vidura, as Bhishma, as us, as Kripa, or as Drona. O one with a great amount of wisdom, a rift between family members is forbidden, sinful, and punishable. O one of great wisdom, dissension with one's own kin is forbidden, sinful and quite deserving of scorn, O king – it would be fitting of you to stop creating rifts. O Bharata tribesman, Duryodhana’s glaring eyes are green when he looks at the Pandavas – if you do nothing, there will be serious consequences. Why not let your wicked son, O king, enter the forest alone and live with the adopted sons of Pandu? The Pandavas would associate with him and feel something for him – perhaps then, O king, you’d become wealthy. Well, it’s been said that that one's inborn self never leaves a man ‘til death. What do Bhishma, Drona, and Vidura think? What do you think? Do what is right while there is time or your best laid plans will go to waste.’”

Chapter 326

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Dhritarashtra said: O holy one, I didn’t like the idea of a dice-game, but, O muni, Fate led me to participate in one. Neither Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, nor Gandhari liked the idea of a dice-game. Surely foolishness gave rise to it. O one who takes delight in keeping to vows – O noteworthy one – O one who is driven by fatherly love despite knowing everything – I cannot forsake my foolish son, Duryodhana!

"And Vyasa said: O king – O son of Vichitravirya – you tell the truth. We know very well that a son is the best thing in the world; there is nothing as goodly as a son. Because of Suravi’s tears, Indra realized that a son is one’s most precious possession. O king, let me tell you a relative story that is excellent and the best of all stories; it tells of the conversation between Indra and Suravi. Long ago, Suravi, the mother of all cows, happened to be in the world of the divinities, weeping. O child, Indra took pity on her and asked, 'O fortunate one, why are you weeping? Are the divinities well? Has something happened either on earth or in the snake-world?’ And Suravi replied: 'Nothing bad has happened in those places that I know of. But, the situation with my son has made me grievous. That’s why, Kausika, I am weeping! O Chief of the Divinities, I see, nearby, a cruel man using a wooden stick on my son. The weight of the plough is too much for him; he, in agony, is falling onto the ground, at the point of death. I see this, O Lord of the Divinities, and fill with compassion – I stir inside. My son, with another, is not as strong as his partner, one carrying the load with ease. O Vasava, my son is lean, weak, and just a bundle of veins and arteries. It’s hard for him to carry his burden. He’s making me grieve. Look at him, Vasava – the whips bring him pain; he is being whipped too often; he cannot carry his load. He moves me; Grief drives me; my heart is heavy and I weep with tears of compassion.’ To this Shakra said: 'O lovely one, thousands like your son feel pain each and every day. Why grieve for just one?’ And Suravi replied: 'I may have one-thousand sons, but I love each and every one of them equally. O Shakra, anyone that is weak and innocent affects me.’

"When Indra heard Suravi’s words, he felt quite shocked. O Kuru, he then realized that a son means more to a person than that person’s own life. The noteworthy one who censured Paka suddenly made it pour heavily; the man was forced to stop working. You, O king, love each and every one of your sons equally. But, you must love those who are weaker than yourself more. I care as much about my son Pandu as I do about you and the uncommonly wise Vidura. I tell you this because I love you! O Bharata tribesman, you have one-hundred-and-one sons but Pandu has just five adopted sons. The five of them are having some troubles, spending day after day with sorrow in their hearts. How can they survive? How can they do well? I think about these two things, things having to do with the distressed sons and stepsons of Pritha, and my soul is stirred over and over again. O King of the World, ask your son Duryodhana to make peace with the Pandavas if you want the Kauravas to live!’”

Chapter 327

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Dhritarashtra said, O uncommonly wise muni, you tell the truth. I know and these here kings know that you tell the truth. Surely what you consider a good idea for the Kurus was the same good idea, O muni, that Vidura, Bhishma, and Drona had. If I deserve to be favored by you – if you want to be kind to the Kurus – encourage my wicked son, Duryodhana!

"And Vyasa said: O king, the rishi named Maitreya is on his way here – he’s seen the Pandavan brothers. O king, the mighty rishi will scold your son for what he has done to his line. O Kauravya, surely we must do as he says – not taking his advice will lead to his cursing your son out of anger.

"Upon saying this, Vyasa departed. Maitreya came before the king; the king and the prince welcomed the travel-weary leader of the munis by way of a performance of the Arghya ritual and performances of other rituals. King Dhritarashtra, Amvika’s son, said to the wise man respectfully: O holy one, was your journey from Kurujungula pleasant? Are the five heroes – the Pandavas – living contentedly? Do the taurine Kurus plan to return prematurely or not? Will the Kauravas ever have brotherly love for one another again?

"And Maitreya said: I embarked upon a pilgrimage that would take me to different altars. Sometime later, I came to Kurujangala and, to my surprise, spotted righteous Yudhishthira in Kamyaka Forest. O honored one, many munis had come to that place in order to see Mahatma Yudhishthira in his home, one meant for an ascetic. He wore deer-skin and had matted hair. Once I had arrived at that place, O King of Kings, I heard about the serious crime your sons had committed; I heard about the terrible doom that had overwhelmed them because of the dice-game. Then, I decided to pay you a visit – the Kauravas could use some help. O honored one, I love you very much and am pleased by you. O king, it is wrong for your sons to argue with either you, Bhishma, or one another. O king, you’re the stake a bull’s lead is tied to. You can punish or reward anyone. Why have you ignored the great misfortune that is about to overtake us? O Kuru, the wrongdoings that took place before the court – wrongdoings that wretched outcasts would like to do – are frowned upon by ascetics.

"After the noteworthy rishi named Maitreya had turned to the wrathful prince named Duryodhana, he said to him gently: O mighty-armed Duryodhana – O supremely eloquent man – O noteworthy man – listen to the things I am about to say to you that are said for your own good. O king, don’t look to argue with the Pandavas. O taurine man, look to do yourself, the Pandavas, the Kurus, and the world some good. The tigrine men are quite powerful heroes on the battlefield – each one has the strength of ten-thousand elephants and a body as solid as a bolt of thunder. They keep their promises and take pride in their masculinity. They’ve slain divinities’ enemies, shape-shifting Rakshasas; Rakshasas like Hidimva and Kirmira. When the mahatmas left this place, a cruel-souled Rakshasa, like an immovable hill, got in their way at night. Like a tiger killing a small deer, Bhima, the best of all those with natural-born strength and the one who always takes delight in fighting, slew the Rakshasa. O king, Bhima slew the mighty warrior named Jarasandha, one who had the strength of ten thousand elephants, while on a journey whose theme was conquest. What man who’s related to Vasudeva – what man whose brothers-in-law are the sons of King Drupada – what man who can rot and die – would try to face off with them on the battlefield? O taurine Bharata tribesman, make peace between yourself and the Pandavas! Take my advice; do not give in to your anger.

"After Maitreya had thusly censured him, O king, Duryodhana slapped his elephant-trunk-like thigh and drew lines in the dirt with his foot, a smile on his face. The wicked, wretched man hung his head in silence. When Maitreya saw that Duryodhana was drawing lines in the dirt in silence, O king, he became angry. Then, it was as if Maitreya was driven by destiny – he, the top muni, overpowered by wrath, decided to curse Duryodhana. His eyes reddened due to anger, Maitreya touched water as he told the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra this: Disobeying me is an insult – may you be punished for it quickly! Because of your sins, a great war will begin. Mighty Bhima will break your thigh with one stroke of his mace!

"Once the muni had spoken, King Dhritarashtra tried to soothe the wise man in hopes that he would lift the curse. But Maitreya said: If your son, O king, makes peace with the Pandavas, the curse will not come about. If not, then it will be as I have said.

"Then, because he wanted to know how mighty Bhima was, the supreme king who was Duryodhana’s father asked Maitreya: How did Bhima kill Kirmira?

"Maitreya said: What more can I say to you, O king? Your son ignores me. Let Vidura speak to you after I am gone. Upon saying so, Maitreya went back the way he had come. Duryodhana was angry because he’d heard how Bhima would kill Duryodhana.’”

Chapter 328

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Dhritarashtra said: O Kshata, I want to know about the death of Kirmira. What happened between Bhimasena and the Rakshasa?

"So Vidura said: Listen to the story of the great thing Bhimasena, the one who does superhuman things, did. When I’ve been with the Pandavas, they like to tell this story to me. They say: 'O supreme king, after we had been defeated at dice, we traveled for three days and nights. Some time later, we reached Kamyaka Forest. Now, it was just after midnight, O king, when it happened. At this time, the outside world sleeps and man-eating Rakshasas that do terrible things come out, ready to wander about. The ascetics, cowherds, and men who wander through the forest avoid Kamyaka Forest and flee, fearing those man-eaters. O Bharata tribesman, it was as we have said – we had just crossed the threshold of Kamyaka Forest. Then, a fearsome Rakshasa whose eyes were alight appeared before us with a lit torch, blocking our way. He stretched his arms out wide, had a terrible face, and was blocking the path of the ones who continued the Kurus’ line. The Rakshasa had four pairs of buck-teeth, a blazing head, an erect body, and a resemblance to, though a beast, either a bank of clouds reflecting the sun’s rays or mixing it up with lightning bolts, flocks of cranes flying below them. The Rakshasa yelled and roared fearsomely like a bank of clouds powered by rain; the beast started to change its true form (as was typical of its kind). When the terrible roar resounded, birds, land-locked creatures, and creatures of the water lost themselves and showed their fear. Due to the movement of the deer and the leopards, buffalo, and bears fleeing in terror chaotically, the forest itself seemed animate. When the Rakshasa sighed, long vines hugged copper-armed trees. Then, suddenly, a gust came out of nowhere, coating the sky with dust. Now, Grief is the most powerful interloper between the five senses and what they desire; the strange enemy’s presence was as such. When it saw us deer-skin-clad Pandavas from a distance, it blocked the forest-path as if it were the Mainaka mountain-range. Lotus-eyed Krishna (Draupadi), having never seen such a thing before, shook with fear and shut her eyes. The one whose braids had been loosened by Dusasana, standing in the middle of our group, looked like a quaking stream flowing from the center of five hills. Taking note that fear was overwhelming her, we gave her support like the five senses dealing with the pleasure that comes with the things they desire, driven by Desire itself. The one with a great amount of abstentious energy named Dhaumya, among the adopted sons of Pandu, got rid of the fearsome mirage the Rakshasa had created using a variety of mantras. He meant to destroy it. When he realized that his mirage was no more, the deceptive, mighty, and shape-shifting Rakshasa widened his eyes out of wrath and assumed a new form that made him look like Death. King Yudhishthira, one with inborn, great wisdom, said: 'Who are you? Whose son are you? How can we help you?’ So the Rakshasa told righteous Yudhishthira: 'I am Vaka’s brother; I’m the famous Kirmira. I live in the emptied Kamyaka Forest peaceably, beating men in skirmishes, only to eat them thereafter. You look like prey that’s ventured too close to me – who are you? I’ll beat you and then I’ll eat you – with pleasure.’

"O Bharata tribesman, once Yudhishthira had heard from the wretch, he said, telling the Rakshasa about himself: ‘I am a righteous king named Yudhishthira. I’m the adopted son of Pandu – perhaps you’ve heard of me. My kingdom was taken away from me, but my half-brothers (two of them are Bhimasena and Arjuna) are with me. We wandered along until we came to this terrible place – your domain. We want to spend our exile here.’

"Then, Kirmira said to Yudhishthira: ‘What good luck! Fate has made my fondest wish come true. I, weapons at the ready, have been waiting to kill Bhima. Until now, he hasn’t made an appearance. What luck! The one who killed my brother – the one I’ve been searching for – has come to me. Bhima, disguised as a Brahmin, was able to kill Vaka in Vetrakiya Forest because of his skills. Bhima is an amateur warrior. The wicked-souled one killed one that lived in this forest: my dear friend Hidimva. Bhima raped Hidimva’s sister too. Foolish Bhima has entered my domain at midnight, the time set aside for Rakshasas. I’ll take my revenge now, something I’ve longed to do for quite some time. I’ll honor Vaka’s Manes with buckets of Bhima’s blood. When I kill the Rakshasas’ enemy, I’ll pay the debt I owe my friend and my brother. I’ll earn supreme contentment. If Bhimasena had been freed by Vaka, I would have eaten him right before your very eyes today, Yudhishthira! Agastya swallowed a mighty Asura named Vatapi and I will swallow Bhima!’

"After the Rakshasa had spoken, virtuous Yudhishthira, one who kept his promises, told him that that would never, ever happen and made the Rakshasa angry by scolding him. Mighty-armed Bhima quickly uprooted a tree that was ten Vyasas long and made it bare. In a moment’s time, the ever-victorious Arjuna strung Gandiva, something that was as powerful as a thunderbolt. But, O Bharata tribesman, Bhima held back Jishnu and moved toward the Rakshasa that roared like clouds and told him to stay where he was. Then, after speaking to the man-eater, powerful Bhima tightened his belt, rubbed his hands together, bit his lower lip, readied the tree, and rushed at the Rakshasa. Like Maghavat hurling a thunderbolt, Bhima took the tree that was like Yama’s mace and smashed the man-eater’s head with it. But, the blow did not faze the Rakshasa and it stood tall. Then, the Rakshasa took his lit torch that was like a fiery lightning bolt and threw it at Bhima. But Bhima, the supreme warrior, punted it back the way it had come. At this, fierce Kirmira ran off, uprooted a tree that was like Yama’s mace, and ran back onto the battlefield. The fight, one that involved trees, resembled the age-old fight between Vali and Sugriva, two brothers who wanted the same woman. When trees smashed the fighters’ heads, splinters flew; it was as if lotus stalks were being thrown into a ring wherein raging elephants were fighting. Trees that came from that great forest, trees whose number was unknown, lay flat on the ground and lay here and there as if they were a bunch of reeds or rags. The fight that involved trees and involved the best Rakshasa and the best man, O taurine Bharata tribesman, was quite brief. But then, the angry Rakshasa picked up a cliff and hurled it at Bhima, the one who stood before him – Bhima stood tall. So, as if Rahu was going to swallow the beam-casting sun after grabbing it, the Rakshasa ran at Bhima with open arms. The mark from the cliff had not changed him. They wrestled; the scene was like that of two furious bulls locking horns or like that of two mighty tigers using their teeth and claws; the face-off soon became fierce and hard-core. Remembering how Duryodhana had brought them shame, remembering Bhima’s strong arms, and knowing that Krishna was looking at him, Vrikodara started to feel more powerful. His blood boiling, Bhima seized the Rakshasa like an elephant would seize another if trapped. But the powerful Rakshasa seized Bhima, the supreme man with inborn strength, and threw him violently onto the ground. When each pushed the other away with his hands, it sounded like splintering sticks of bamboo. Bhima threw the Rakshasa down, grabbed him by the middle, and spun him around like a fierce hurricane making a tree shake. When mighty Bhima did this, the exhausted Rakshasa weakened and shook, even though he was pushing the Pandava with all his might. When he saw that he was exhausted, Vrikodara seized their enemy like a man tying up an animal. At this, the beast roared fearsomely and it sounded like an improper trumpet blare. Mighty Vrikodara spun the Rakshasa for some time, until it was limp and prone to seizures. Then, seeing the Rakshasa was exhausted, the adopted son of Pandu lost no time in taking hold of it and killing it as he would an animal. Vrikodara kneed the wretched Rakshasa in the waist and choked it. Bhima dragged the black-and-blue body of the Rakshasa whose eyes had not yet closed and said to it: ‘O sinful wretch, you no longer have to comfort Hidimva or Vaka – you’re going to Yama’s world.’ Upon saying so, the best of men whose heart’s blood boiled took note of the naked, un-bejeweled, and shaking Rakshasa. He left it there to rot. Once the cloud-colored Rakshasa had died, the adopted son of King Pandu (the supreme king) praised Bhima for having so many redeeming qualities. With Krishna leading us, we then set out for Dwaita Forest.’

"That’s how, O lord of men, Bhima slew Kirmira on the battlefield. He, O Kauravan, was obeying righteous Yudhishthira. Now that the forest pest would no longer bother them, victorious and righteous Yudhishthira was able to start living in their new home with Draupadi. The taurine Bharata tribesmen comforted Draupadi and praised Bhima with cheery and gladdened hearts. Because the Rakshasa had been slain by way of Bhima’s mighty arms, the heroes were able to enter the now peaceful forest without experiencing any other botheration. When I personally meandered through the great forest, I saw the body of the wicked, fearless Rakshasa that Bhima had used his might to slay. O Bharata tribesman, the Brahmins who had gathered ‘round the Pandavas told me what Bhima had done.

"Upon hearing the story about how Kirmira, the best Rakshasa, had died fighting on the battlefield, the king sighed, sorrowful, and turned pensive.’”

Chapter 329

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Now, when they heard that the Pandavas had been banished, the Bhojas, Vrishnis, and Andhakas entered the great forest to see the ones who dwelled therein and felt troubled. The blood relatives of Panchala, King Dhrishtaketu of Chedi, and the famous brothers who were powerful (the Kaikeyas) had hearts whose blood boiled. Yes, they entered the forest in order to see Pritha’s sons and stepsons. Scolding Dhritarashtra’s sons, they said: What’s to be done? The Kshatriyas, Vasudeva leading them, sat around righteous Yudhishthira. Upon greeting the best Kuru respectfully, Kesava, grieving, said: Let the earth drink Duryodhana’s, Karna’s, Dusasana’s, and wicked Sakuni’s blood! Kill them on the battlefield, defeat their devotees and their blue-blooded friends, and put righteous Yudhishthira on the throne! The wicked deserve to be slain! Truly what I say is undeniably righteous.

"Because others had done Pritha’s sons and stepsons wrong, Jandardana became impassioned and seemed determined to swallow all creation. But, Arjuna made use of himself and soothed him. When he saw that Kesava was angry, Phalguna reminded him what The Soul of All Things – the immeasurable and immortal One – the One with boundless energy – Prajapati’s lord – the supreme world leader – the One with uncommon wisdom – Vishnu – had done:

"You, Krishna, once wandered for ten-thousand years as a muni over the Gandhamadana mountain-range. You made camp after sunset. The only thing you consumed was water, Krishna – you lived on the shore of Lake Pushkara for one-thousand years. O slayer of Madhu, you, your arms held high and one of your legs raised, spent a century’s time atop the lofty hills of Vadari. For that amount of time, you only consumed air. Bare-chested, your body emaciated, looking like just a bundle of veins, you lived on the banks of the Saraswati for a dozen years, performing sacrifices. O powerfully zealous Krishna, you, keeping to a vow, stood on one leg for a divine millennia on Prabhasa’s plains, a place virtuous men ought to visit. Vyasa says you created and sustain all life. O Kesava – O Lord of Kshetra (the five senses, consciousness, intellect, the primordial elements, the ten senses, the things the senses want, desire, dislike, pleasure, pain, the unified elements, pure consciousness) – you are the one who moves the mind, begins all things, and ends all things. You support asceticism, personify sacrifice, and are the immortal one. You slew the Asura named Naraka, the child of earth when it was brand new. You took Naraka’s earrings and performed the first horse-sacrifice in the name of Naraka. O Bull of All Worlds, you, after that, earned it all. You’ve annihilated the Daityas and Danavas on the battlefield. You made Sachi’s husband Indra ruler of the universe. You, mighty-armed Kesava, have been reborn in the world of men. O slayer of any enemy, you’ve rested upon the primordial waters and been reborn as Hari (the growing seed that will become the universe), Brahma, Surya, Dharma, Dhatri, Yama, Anala, Vasu, Vaisravana, Rudra, Kala, Sky, Earth, and the ten directions! You, the uncreated one, rule the moving parts and the unmoving parts of the universe. O Creator of All – O supreme existence – O slayer of Madhu – O one with plenty of energy! You, whilst in Chitraratha Forest, satisfied the Chief of All Gods that was the loftiest of the loftiest. O Janardana, you offered hundreds and thousand of gold pieces during sacrifices. O Yadavan, you, when born as Aditi’s son, O honored one with the best qualities, were called Indra’s younger brother. O enemy-scorner, you, though a child at the time, because of your energy, walked through Heaven, the sky, and the world in three steps. O Soul of All, you walked through Heaven and the sky when thusly transformed; you once became the sun and troubled him with your own lucidity. O praised one, you, over thousands of lifetimes, have slain hundreds of wicked Asuras. You’ve annihilated the Mauravas, annihilated the Pashas, slain Nisunda, and slain Naraka. You’ve made sure anyone on the road to Pragjyotisha will be safe. You slew Avriti at Jaruthi, slew Kratha and Sisupala along with their devotees, and slew Jarasandha, Saivya, and Satadhanwan. Your chariot, one that roars like a cloud and is as shiny as the sun, was used by you when you earned Bhoja’s hand in marriage after defeating Rukmi on the battlefield. You slew, out of fury, Indradyumna and the Yavanan called Kaseruman. Once you slew Lord Salwa of Saubha, you destroyed that lord’s city. Yes, you slew them all on the battlefield! Let me tell you about others who you’ve slain. At Iravati, you slew the one who was as good as Kartavirya when fighting – King Bhoja. You’ve slain Gopati and Talaketu. O Janardana, you’ve taken the holy city of Dwarka, one possessing plenty of riches and one that the rishis are pleased with. At the end of time, Dwarka will sink to the bottom of the sea. O slayer of Madhu, there’s no way you can be deceptive – you, O Dasarhan, have neither anger, jealousy, the ability to lie, nor the ability to be cruel. O one who’ll never know rot, all rishis look to you for protection – you bask in the glory of the holy place by sitting on its soil. O slayer of Madhu, you’ll remain ‘til the end of the age, unifying or separating the universe within yourself. O enemy-tamer – O Vrishni – you, at the beginning of the age, came out of your own lotus-like naval as did Brahma, the Lord of All Animate And Inanimate Things (He rules the universe). When the dreadful Danavas, Madhu, and Kaitava planned to slay Brahma, you, noting their devilish plans, angered. Out of your forehead, Hari, came Sambhu, the one who wields a trident. And so, two top gods have come out of your body and done your bidding. Narada told me so. O Narayana, you, within the Chaitraratha, celebrated the great sacrifice that involved many a ritual, giving many a gift. O holy god – O one whose eyes are like lotus-leaves –the things you did as a boy – things that proved your might – things that Baladeva helped you do – have never been or will ever be done by any other. You’ve lived in Kailasa among Brahmins.

"After the noteworthy Pandava who was the soul of Krishna had spoken, he fell silent. And Janardana replied to that son of Pritha: You belong to me and I belong to you; what’s mine is yours. Anyone who hates you hates me too; anyone who serves you serves me too. O unstoppable one, you’re Nara and I’m called both Narayana and Hari. We two rishis were born into the world of men for a reason. O Partha, you came from me and I came from you. O taurine Bharata tribesman, no one can understand what makes us different.

"After noteworthy Kesava had said this whilst he was among a ring of brave kings who anger had impassioned, Panchali, one who Dhrishtadyumna and her heroic brothers surrounded, approached the one who had eyes like lotus-leaves and was sitting with his cousins. Wishing to be protected, she said angrily to the one who protected all: Asita and Devala have said that when it comes to creation, wise men say that you are the lone Prajapati; the lone, holy creator of the worlds. O unstoppable one, Jamadagnya says that you are Vishnu, the slayer of Madhu, Sacrifice, the holy sacrificer, and the one a sacrifice is made for. O supreme male, the rishis say you personify both forgiveness and truth! Kasyapa says that you are the representation of sacrifice, Truth’s child. O honored one, Narada says you are the Sadhyas’ god, the Shivas’ god, the lone and holy creator, and the Lord of All. O tigrine man, you often play with divinities – Brahma, Sankara, and Shakra – like a child playing with toys. O honored one, your head covers the sky, your feet cover the ground, worlds develop with your womb – you are the immortal, holy one. When it comes to rishis made holy by Vedic lore and asceticism, ones both purified by penitence and ones satisfied with soul-sight, you are the best thing. O Lord of All Males, you protect the royal wise men who devote themselves to virtuous deeds, never flee from the battlefield, and know how to do it all. You are the Lord of All, omnipresent, the holy soul of all things, and the active power that pervades all. You are the crux of the world leaders, the worlds they rule, the meeting-places of the stars, the ten points of the horizon, the sky, the moon, and the sun. O mighty-armed one, you are the crux of earthly creatures’ morality and the universes’ immorality. You are the holy, supreme Lord of All Creatures (divine and human). You’ve shown the love you have for me, O slayer of Madhu, so I’ll tell you why I grieve. Why me, Krishna? I am the wife of Pritha’s sons and stepsons, the sister of Dhrishtadyumna, and your friend. Why did you let me be dragged before an audience? I was menstruating, my clothes were stained with menses, I was wearing a single garment, and I was shaking and crying – still, they dragged me out before the assembly of Kurus. When the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra saw that I, bloodied, had been seen by kings during an assembly, they laughed at me. O slayer of Madhu, they told everyone that they wanted to enslave me while the adopted sons of Pandu, the Panchalas, and the Vrishnis were still alive. O Krishna, I am, by law, Dhritarashtra’s and Bhishma’s daughter-in-law. Nevertheless, O slayer of Madhu, they wanted to force me into slavery. It’s the Pandavas’ fault – they’re mighty, supreme on the battlefield, and the ones who just sat there while their famous wife was treated quite cruelly. I curse Bhimasena’s might and curse Gandiva – they, O Janardana, let nasty men shame me. The unchanging path of morality is always taken by a virtuous person (a husband). A husband, no matter how weak he is, protects his wife! Protecting one’s wife means that one’s children as well as one’s own self are protected. A man’s wife is called Jaya, because she gives birth to her husband. A wife, knowing that she will give birth to her husband, should protect him. The Pandavas never abandon the one who asks them to protect him, but I asked for help and they did not give it to me. Now, I’ve had a son, a son with an overwhelming amount of energy, with each one of my five husbands – Prativindhya (whose father is Yudhishthira), Sutasoma (whose father is Vrikodara), Srutakirti (whose father is Arjuna), Satanika (whose father is Nakula) and Srutakarman (whose father I married last). Srutakarman’s energy cannot be hindered. They should have protected me, O Janardana, for my future children’s sake. Your son Pradyumna, Krishna, is a mighty warrior – all five of my children are too. They’re the best archers and cannot be conquered on the battlefield. Why do my children prove by way of signs on their bodies that the sons of Dhritarashtra, ones with loathsome strength, hurt me so? Tricked into losing their kingdom, the Pandavas were enslaved and I was dragged out before an assembly even though I was menstruating and wearing a single garment. Curse Gandiva – no one can string it but Arjuna, Bhima, and you, O slayer of Madhu! Curse Bhima’s strength! Curse Arjuna’s power – O Krishna, Duryodhana still lives, despite what he has done. He, O slayer of Madhu, sent the innocent Pandavas and their mother out of the kingdom. The Pandavas were children studying and keeping to their vows! That sinful wretch – oh how hard it is for me to say this – put fresh, deadly poison into Bhima’s food. Well, Janardana, you know that Bhima swallowed the poison and lived. O supreme man – O mighty-armed one – it was not his time to die. O Krishna, Duryodhana was at home, standing next to a banyan tree known as Pramana, when he decided to tie the sleeping, unaware Bhima up and throw him into the Ganges. Duryodhana returned, but powerful Bhimasena (the son of Kunti with mighty arms) awoke, untied himself, and swam to the surface. Duryodhana let poisonous black cobras bite Bhimasena, but, as you know, the enemy-slayer still lived. Yes, the son of Kunti awoke, smashed the snakes to death with his left hand, and killed Duryodhana’s favorite charioteer. Duryodhana, when the young Pandavas were sleeping in Varanavata with the mother and stepmother of that blended family, set their house on fire, trying to kill them. Who could do such a thing? Well, noteworthy Kunti, overwhelmed by the calamity, saw the encircling flames and cried out, terrified: ‘Alas, I am undone! How shall we escape this fire today? The little ones and I shall die!’ But Bhima, the one with mighty arms and power that resembled the wind blowing, soothed his noteworthy mother and his half-brothers, saying, 'I shall swoop up like Garuda, the son of Vinata that’s the King of Birds. We have no reason to fear the fire.’ He hugged his mother to his left side, hugged the future king to his right side, balanced the twins on his shoulder, and carried Vivatsu on his back. Mighty Vrikodara, the five of them clinging to his body, leapt over the flames and exited safely. Leaving that night along with the famous mother of that blended family, they came to the famous Hidimva Forest. Now exhausted and troubled, they decided to pause and rest together. But then, a female Rakshasa named Hidimva neared them. She had seen the sleeping Pandavas with the mother of that blended family and had fallen in love with Bhimasena. The weakened Rakshasa placed Bhima’s feet on her lap and started massaging them with her soft hands. Mighty Bhima, the one with an immeasurable amount of energy and the one with unstoppable power, awoke and said: 'O one whose features are perfect, what do you want?’ And the female Rakshasa with a flawless body that could shape-shift told Mahatma Bhima: 'Flee quickly from this place! My brother, one gifted with strength, will come and kill you. Run – do not linger here!’ But Bhima said proudly: 'I’m not afraid of him! If he comes to this place, I’ll kill him!’ When they heard what was said, the nastiest of man-eaters came to that place. Their images frightening, they let out loud cries. The brother of the Rakshasa said: 'Who have you been talking to, Hidimva? Bring him to me and I’ll eat him. It would not suit you to waste any time in doing so.’ But, because she had compassion and pity now, the female Rakshasa with perfect features and a pure heart said nothing. At this, the man-eater made dreadful cries and rushed powerfully at Bhima. Running at him pell-mell, the mighty man-eater that was overtaken by rage grabbed one of Bhima’s hands. It then made a fist with its other hand, a fist as tight as Indra’s thunderbolt, and punched Bhima as powerfully as the power of a lightning-bolt. Seeing that the Rakshasa had grabbed his hand, Vrikodara, intolerable of the action, flew into a rage. That’s when a dreadful fight started between Bhimasena and Hidimva. Each one was skilled when it came to weaponry; the fight was like the one that took place between Vasava and Vritra. O innocent one, powerful Bhima, the one with a great amount of energy, played with the Rakshasa for a long time before he was able to kill the man-eater; the man-eater had become exhausted. After Hidimva died, Bhima went off with the female Rakshasa and sired Ghatotkacha. Then, Bhima and his brothers departed. The enemy-tamers, the mother of that blended family, and many a Brahmin later headed toward Ekachakra. Along the way, Vyasa, one who always looked out for them, had decided to be their advisor. When they came to Ekachakra, the Pandavas, ones who kept to their strict vows, met and slew a mighty man-eater named Vaka. Vaka had been as terrible as Hidimva. Once that fierce man-eater was dead, Bhima, the best slayer, went with his brothers to the capital of Drupada. O Krishna, you won Rukmini, Bhishmaka’s daughter – Savyasachin, a Drupadan, won me. O slayer of Madhu, Arjuna won me at a Swayamvara after doing something that proved difficult for many. He also fought a group of kings.

"So you see, Krishna, why I am sorely troubled. Dhaumya leads us, it’s true, but I miss adorable Kunti’s company. Why do the ones gifted with strength and leonine strength sit there, blasé? They see that my nasty enemies trouble me. Am I meant to burn with grief for a long time, suffering due to the sins wicked, evil-doing enemies with trivial amounts of strength commit? I was born into a great race; I was born in a unique way. I am married to the beloved Pandavas; I’m noteworthy Pandu’s daughter-in-law! I, the best woman and the one who was devoted to her husbands, was dragged by the hair before the Pandavas’ very eyes, O slayer of Madhu – each Pandava is like Indra!

"Upon saying this, soft-spoken Krishna, as if she were lotus-buds, hid her face with her soft hands and began weeping. Panchali’s grief-borne tears soaked her round, plump, and noble breasts that auspicious signs topped. Then, wiping her eyes and sighing often, she added angrily, her voice choked: I have no husbands, sons, friends, brothers, or father. I don’t even have you, O slayer of Madhu – all of you watched lesser enemies treat me cruelly and sat there, unfazed. Karna teased me and nothing can help me forget that. That’s why you ought to, O Kesava, support our relationship, support your respect for me, support our friendship, and support your role as my husband.
Vasudeva, one among the assembled heroes, answered the weeping Draupadi thusly: O beautiful lady, the wives of the ones you’re angry with will weep as you are weeping now when they see their husbands’ dead bodies. The bodies will be soaked with blood and covered with Vivatsu’s arrows. Do not weep, milady: I’ll do my best for the adopted sons of Pandu. I promise you’ll be the wife of five kings again one day. The heavens could fall, Mount Himavat could split in two, the ground could do the same, and the water of the ocean could disappear, but, know that I never say anything worthless. At this, Draupadi looked indirectly at her third husband. O mighty king, Arjuna then said to her: Do not grieve, O one with copper-colored eyes. O noteworthy creature, the slayer of Madhu tells the truth. What he has said must come to pass, beautiful one.

"Then, Dhrishtadyumna said: I promise you that I will slay Drona, Sikhandin will slay that grandfather, Bhimasena will slay Duryodhana, and Dhananjaya will slay Karna. O sister, we have Rama and Krishna to help us. Even if Vritra faces us, what do the sons of Dhritarashtra mean to us?

"After this had been said, the heroes turned to look at Vasudeva. Vasudeva had this to say.’”

Chapter 330

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva said, O Lord of Earth, if only I had been at Dwaraka! Then, O king, the crime wouldn’t have been committed. O unstoppable one, I would have come to the game (even if Dhritarashtra, Amvika’s son, Duryodhana, or any other Kauravan had uninvited me) and prevented the game from taking place. I’d have proven how wrong it was. I’d have gotten Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and Vahlika! O honored one, I’d, for your sake, have said this to the son of Vichitravirya: ‘O supreme king, keep your sons away from dice!’ I’d have proven how sinful playing dice-games are – you’ve gotten into trouble because of them and Virasena’s kingdom was taken away because of them. O king, committing sins without thinking is what happens when you play dice-games! I’d have explained how the man who plays a dice-game does so repeatedly just because he wants to win. There are four things that lure people, are addictive, and take a man’s money away from them: women, dice-games, hunting, and alcohol. The ones who know the Sastras believe that Wickedness clings to those four things. The ones with an addiction to dice-games know how wicked they are. O mighty-armed one, I’d, standing before Amvika’s son, have proven that men, because of dice, lose everything, feel troubled, lose the chance to earn future wealth, and say nasty things. O continuer of the Kuru line, I’d have proven that these and many other bad things happen. If he’d have accepted what I had had to say, the Kurus’ welfare and virtue would have been safe. O supreme king, if he’d have not taken my goodly advice as if he were saying no to medicine, then, O supreme Bharata tribesman, I’d have forced him to agree with me. If the ones who serve him in court falsely claimed to be his friends and supported him, I’d have, before all, killed them as well as the gamblers. O Kauravya, you feel troubled now because I was away from Anarta Pradesh and because of dice. O supreme Kuru – O adopted son of Pandu, I, upon arriving at Dwarka, heard from Yuyudhana about the great calamity. O supreme king, I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth, my heart truly troubled by grief. That’s why I came here quickly, O king! Alas! You’ve all gotten into terrible trouble, O taurine Bharata tribesman. You are before me; you and your brothers have dove into a sea of troubles!’”

Chapter 331

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Yudhishthira said: O Krishna, why did you leave Anarta Pradesh? O Vrishni, where did you live?

"And Krishna said: O taurine Bharata tribesman, I had gone off to destroy Salwa. O supreme Kauravan, let me tell you why. Damaghosha’s heroic son – the famous, might-armed, and greatly zealous King Sisupala – had been slain at a Rajasuya sacrifice by me, O supreme Bharata tribesman. The wicked one flew into a rage when I made the initial offering! When Salwa heard that Sisupala had been slain, he, burning with fierce anger, came to Dwaraka. O Bharata tribesman, there was no one at Dwaraka because I was with you at the time. I rode on a chariot made of precious metals, therefore, the chariot was called The Souva. Salwa met the youthful Vrishnian princes who were taurine and fought them ruthlessly. Many young, brave, and valiant Vrishnians died at the hands of the wicked one; he ruined the city gardens. O mighty-armed one, he said: ‘Where is the Vrishnian wretch named Vasudeva, the son of Vasudeva with a bad soul? I’ll tame the pride of the one who’s so eager to fight me. Where is he, Anartan countrymen? I’ll find him; I’ll kill the one who slew Kansa and Kesi and then return. I swear by my weapon that I won’t return until he’s dead. Where is he?! Where is he?!’ Then, the Lord of Saubha hurried here and told me he wanted to fight me. He said: ‘Sisupala’s death both enrages and moves me. I’m going to send that deceitful, faithless, low-minded one to Yama!’ Then, O king, he said: ‘Janardana’s the wretch who killed my young, impressionable brother who was unarmed and unawares!’ O great king – O Kuru – he insulted me thusly and then flew into the air in his chariot of precious metals that could go anywhere he wanted. When I returned to the kingdom, I heard what, O Kauravan, the low-minded and wicked King of Maticka said about me. O Kuru king, shaken due to rage, I, upon careful consideration, decided to kill him. When I heard, O Kauravya, about how he’d troubled the Anartas – when I heard the things he said to me – when I took note of his excessive pride, I decided to kill the wretch. O Lord of the World, I set out from my city, determined to slay the Lord of Saubha. Upon searching high and low, I found him on an island that sat in the middle of an ocean. I blew a conch I’d taken from the sea, O king, named Panchajanya. Challenging Salwa to a fight, I stood tall. Suddenly, a number of Danavas came at me. But, I tamed them and sent them to the ground. O mighty-armed one, this is why I wasn’t there. But, as soon as I heard about the unfair dice-game that was played at Hastinapura, I came, wanting to see the ones who’ve been forced into troubles.’”

Chapter 332

“Vaisampayana said,

‘But Yudhishthira said: O noteworthy, mighty-armed Vasudeva, how did the Lord of Saubha die? Your story did not satisfy my curiosity.

"So Vasudeva said: O mighty-armed king, when Salwa heard that Sisupala (Srutasravas) had been slain by me, he, O supreme Bharata tribesman, came to Dwaravati. O adopted son of Pandu, the wicked king arranged his army and both surrounded it and climbed on top of it. Upon placing himself in the upper regions, the king started laying waste to the city. The battle began with a heavy shower of weapons raining down from all sides. O taurine Bharata tribesman, the city, at the time, was quite strong on all sides due to the science of fortification. It had pennants, arches, warriors, walls, turrets, engines, miners, streets blocked off with wooden stakes, towers, buildings whose gateways were filled with food, engines meant to cast flaming brands and fireballs, skins to carry water in, trumpets, tabors, drums, lances, pitchforks, sataghnis, plough-shares, rockets, boulders, battle-axes, other weapons, iron-embossed shields, and engines meant for hurling balls, bullets, and hot liquid. A number of chariots were there to protect the city, O tigrine Kuru. Gada, Shamva, Udhava and others were there; there were powerful warriors battles had tested who had been born well-off and could face-off with any enemy. Each one stood at his command-post, assisted by cavalry and guards. Each one of these men watched over the town. Ugrasena, Udhava, and others made sure nothing was sloppy; they told everyone to abstain from drinking. The Vrishnis and the Andhakas, knowing too well that Salwa would kill them if they were sloppy, remained alert and watchful. It wasn’t long before the local law enforcement told all mimes, dancers, and singers from Anarta Pradesh to leave the area. Bridges over rivers were destroyed, no boats left the harbor, and city trenches were spiked with staves at the bottom. Men made sure the soil for two miles around the city was uneven, creating holes, pits, and hidden landmines. Our fort, innocent one, is naturally strong, always well-protected, and filled with all kinds of weapons. Because we had prepared ourselves, our city was more than ready to face the enemy. O Bharata chieftain, our city, because of this, looked like Indra. O king, we made sure, knowing that Salwa was coming, that no one could enter or exit the Vrishnis’ or Andhakas’ town without making a special sign. The main roads and the gaps were populated by numerous elephants and horses. O mighty-armed one, the warriors were blessed with allowances, wages, rations, weapons, and armor. Each warrior was paid in gold; each warrior was paid, given allowances, and tested when it came to bravery. O one whose eyes are like lotus-leaves, Dwaraka, one who had prepared well, had Ahuka (Ugrasena) as his assistant.’”
 

Chapter 333

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva continued: O King of Kings, Lord Salwa of Saubha neared our city with an immense army of infantrymen, men on horseback, and elephants. The army led by King Salwa had armies with four generals; it filled a plain that had plenty of water. Abandoning cemeteries, temples dedicated to the gods, and sacred trees and places that ant-hills covered, the army covered all other places. The roads leading into the city were blocked by sections of the army; the secret entrances were blocked off by the enemy’s camp. Like Garuda, the Lord of Birds, flying, O Kauravya, the ruler of Saubha hurried towards Dwaraka with, O taurine man, an army, weapons, men who knew how to use weapons, lots of chariots, lots of elephants, men on horses carrying banners, well-paid and well-fed soldiers who were quite strong and bore signs of heroics, wonderful chariots, and bows. When they saw Salwa’s army, the youthful Vrishnian princes decided to face it and leave the city. O king – O Kuru, Charudeshna, Samva, and the mighty warrior named Pradyumna hurried out on chariots, wearing mail-coats and decorations. Their colors waving, they decided to meet Salwa’s mighty army whose number could not be ascertained. Samva took up his bow and zealously attacked Kshemavridhi, Salwa’s army-commander and top advisor. O supreme Bharata tribesman, the son of Jambavati started sending a never-ending shower of arrows down as if he were Indra making it rain. O mighty king, Kshemavridhi, Salwa’s army-commander, stood tall like Himavat and tolerated that shower of arrows. O supreme king, Kshemavridhi then hurled an imaginary bunch of staves at Samva that were mightier than his arrows. But Samva, in reply, sent a thousand imaginary arrows at Kshemavridhi’s chariot. At this, the violent army’s commander, hurt by Samva’s staves and overwhelming Kshemavridhi, fled the battlefield with the help of his swift horse. Once the wicked general belonging to Salwa had fled, a mighty Daitya named Vegavat rushed at my child. O supreme king, Samva, the heroic continuer of the Vrishnian line who had been attacked stood tall. O son of Kunti, heroic Samva, the one with power who was unstoppable, spun a speedy mace and threw it at Vegavat. O king, when the mace hit Vegavat, he fell to the ground like a weather-beaten, exhausted tree (the Lord of the Forest) that had rotted roots. Once the greatly zealous and heroic Asura had been killed with a mace, my son joined the mighty army and started fighting. Then, great king, a famous Danavan named Vivindhya (a mighty warrior who carried a great, powerful bow) saw Charudeshna. O king, the fight between Charudeshna and Vivindhya was as fierce as the fight between Vritra and Vasava that took place long ago. Angry, the two hit each other with arrows and roared loudly like two great lions. Then, Rukmini’s son put a mighty weapon with the sun’s or fire’s splendor on his bow – this weapon could destroy any enemy after magic spells had brought it to life. So, O king, my son, a mighty warrior, one who had fiery rage, sent that weapon at Vivindhya after challenging him. Upon being struck by that weapon, the Danavan fell down dead. When he saw that Vivindhya was dead and that the army was disbanding, Salwa drove his beautiful chariot that could go anywhere onward. O mighty-armed king, the Dwarakan warriors, seeing Salwa riding that beautiful chariot of his, trembled with fear. O Kuru, Pradyumna rushed out next. He, O great king, told the Anartas to cheer up thusly: ‘Do not be afraid – stay and watch me fight. I’ll force Salwa and his chariot to go back. O Yadavas, I will, today, hurl my serpentine weapons from my bow and kill the Lord of Saubha’s army. Cheer up! Don’t be afraid! Today the Lord of Saubha will die! The wretch and his chariot will die because of me!’ O son of Pandu, because Pradyumna had spoken to the Yadavan army with joy in his heart thusly, they stayed on the battlefield and fought with gusto.’” 

Chapter 334

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva continued: O taurine Bharata tribesman, once Rukmini’s son (Pradyumna) had said this to the Yadavas, he mounted his golden chariot. The chariot he rode was drawn by excellent horses wearing mail-coats. The banner that waved over the chariot had a open-mouthed, fierce makara that looked as fearsome as Yama. Because of horses that flew more than they cantered on the ground, Pradyumna was able to fly at his enemy. The hero, bearing a quiver and a sword, his fingers protected by leather, let go of a bow that had lightning’s splendor and was quite strong. When he drew back his bow with different hands derisively, it confused the Danavas and the other Saubhan warriors. Hating his enemy with a passion, he annihilated the Danavas on the battlefield; it seemed he never stopped hurling staves. The hue of his face remained the same; his limbs remained taught. All people could hear was his loud, leonine roar that proved his bravery was wondrous. A sea-monster with a gaping mouth – one that ate any fish – was what was pictured on the golden flag-staff of the supreme chariot; it terrorized Salwa’s warriors. O king, Pradyumna, the one who mowed down his enemies, rushed at Salwa – he desperately wanted to fight him. O one who critiques the Kurus, angry Salwa, egged on by heroic Pradyumna during the powerful fight, could barely tolerate the face-off. Salwa, the one who took over hostile cities, maddened by his anger, dismounted the beautiful chariot of his whose speed could not be changed – he decided to face-off with Pradyumna. People witnessed the fight between Salwa and the best of all Vrishnian heroes – it seemed to them like the fight between Vasava and Vali. O hero, noteworthy and might Salwa, atop his beautiful chariot that gold, flags, flag-staffs, and quivers decorated, shot arrows at Pradyumna. But Pradyumna, using his weapons’ energy, overpowered Salwa with a heavy storm of arrows. Once Pradyumna had attacked him thusly, the King of Saubha, unable to tolerate what had just happened, shot arrows that looked like blazing fire at my son. Mighty Pradyumna was able to sent the shower of arrows away from him, so Salwa hurled other weapons whose splendor blazed at my child. Then, O supreme king, the son of Rukmini, having been hit by Salwa’s staves, shot, losing no time, an arrow that could hit a vital place during a fight. The winged staff my son cast passed through Salwa’s mail-coat and hit his heart. This made Salwa fall to the ground, unconscious. When they saw that heroic King Salwa had fallen and been rendered unconscious, the best Danavas kicked up clumps of soil, fleeing. O Lord of Earth, Salwa’s army cried out: ‘Oh!’ and ‘Alas!’ when they saw that their ruler, the Lord of Saubha, had fallen down and was now unconscious. O Kuru, when he came to, mighty Salwa stood up and instantaneously shot arrows at Pradyumna. Heroic and powerfully-armed Pradyumna, his neck bleeding from many places due to his enemy, remained in his chariot, weak. O mighty king, upon wounding the son of Rukmini, Salwa shouted to the sky, sounding like a roaring lion. The sound reverberated all over the world. O Bharata, when Salwa saw that my son was unconscious, he, losing no time, shot another bunch of greatly harmful staves at him. Having been pierced by a number of arrows and rendered senseless, O Chief of the Kurus, Pradyumna remained on the battlefield, not moving.’”

Chapter 335

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva continued: O king, pained by Salwa’s arrows, Pradyumna had been rendered unconscious. The Vrishnians who had come to the battlefield felt disheartened and quite grievous. The Vrishnian and Andhakan warriors cried out: ‘Oh!’ and ‘Alas!’ even though the enemy felt joyful that his adversary was unconscious. A trained charioteer, Duruka’s son started carrying Pradyumna off the battlefield with the help of his horses. But, the chariot had not gone far when the supreme warrior came to, picked up his bow, and said this to the charioteer: ‘What have you done, O Suta son? Why did you flee the battlefield? A Vrishnian hero is not supposed to do so during battle. O Suta son, did watching Salwa fight cloud your mind or make you feel dejected? Be honest – what’s on your mind?’ So the charioteer told him: ‘O son of Janardana, nothing has clouded my mind; Fear has not overwhelmed me. No, O son of Kesava, I came to the conclusion that you cannot kill Salwa. O hero, I was taking you off the battlefield gingerly. The wretch is stronger than you. It’s fitting of a charioteer to protect the chariot-riding warrior when he’s been rendered unconscious. O one blessed with a long life, I should always be your protector. It’s equally fitting of you to protect me. So I, believing that a charioteer should always protect a warrior, carried you off the battlefield. Furthermore, mighty-armed one, one man cannot face many Danavas. The fight is not a fair one, O son of Rukmini – that’s why I’m taking you away!’

"Once the charioteer had spoken thusly, the one, O Kauravya, who had the makara as his sign, said: ‘Turn back, son of Daruka! Don’t ever do this again! Never do it, O Suta! Don’t drive off the battlefield if I still live! A Vrishnian never flees the battlefield, slays an unconscious enemy who puts his life in your hands, kills a woman, kills a boy, kills an old man, or kills a troubled warrior who’s had his chariot taken from him and his weapons ruined. You come from a long line of charioteers and were trained as one. O son of Daruka, you know what a Vrishnian can and cannot do on the battlefield. So, O Suta, you should never flee the battlefield again! What will unstoppable Madhava, Gada’s elder brother, say to me when he hears that I’ve fled the scene due to a clouded mind, being hit from behind, or battle-cowardice? What will Kesava’s elder brother (mighty-armed Baladeva, the one who wears blue and is a drunk) say when he returns? What will, O Suta, the leonine man who is Sini’s grandson (a great warrior named Satyaki), say when he hears that I forfeited? O charioteer, what will ever-victorious Shamva, unstoppable Charudeshna, Gada, Sarana, and mighty-armed Akrura say to me? What will the wives of the Vrishnian heroes say about me when they gather together – I was once considered brave, respectable, and prideful in a masculine way; they will say I once held myself well. They will say: Pradyumna is a coward! He fled the battlefield! We curse him! They won’t praise me at all. Cursing me and making fun of me is worse than dying to one like me, O Suta. Don’t flee the battlefield again. Putting something in my hands entirely, Hari, Madhu’s slayer, went to the leonine Bharata tribesman named Yudhishthira’s sacrifice. I cannot be silent now. O Suta, when brave Kritavarman rushed out to meet Salwa, I stopped him and told him that I would hold Salwa back. Stay here! Hridika’s son, for the sake of my honor, stopped. I’ve been rushed off the battlefield – what’ll I say to the mighty warrior when I see him next? When the unstoppable one with mighty-arms - the one who holds the conch-shell, discus, and mace – the one with eyes like lotus-leaves – returns, what will I say to him? Satyaki, Valadeva, other Vrishinians, and other Andhakans boast about me. What will I say to them now? O Suta, I’ve left the battlefield because of you with arrow-wounds in my back. There’s no way I can live now. O son of Daruka, turn the chariot around quickly – never do this again; no, not even when times are very bad. Why go on living, O Suta, if I’ve fled the battlefield like a coward, arrow-wounds in my back. O son of a Suta, have you ever seen me flee the battlefield in terror? O son of Daruka, it ill-suited you to leave the battlefield – I still wanted to fight. Return to the battlefield.’”

Chapter 336

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva continued: When Pradyumna had fallen silent, the Suta son was quick to sweetly reply to the best of all naturally strong man: ‘O son of Rukmini, I’m not afraid of leading horses onto the battlefield. I know the rules Vrishnian warriors live by. It cannot be any other way. But, O one blessed with long life, charioteers are taught that a warrior riding in a chariot most assuredly ought to be protected by his charioteer. You were in a lot of trouble and quite wounded due to the arrows Salwa shot. You were unconscious, hero! That’s why I took you off the battlefield. Now that you’ve come to, O Chief of the Satwatas, you can, O son of Kesava, watch me lead the horses well. Daruka sired me; I’ve been trained. I’ll drive through the famous army of Salwa without fear.’

"Upon saying this, O hero, the charioteer took up the reins and asked the horses to canter onto the battlefield. O king, the charioteer used his whip and pulled the reins; the excellent horses seemed to fly through the air while moving beautifully in a variety of ways (in a circle, as one, helter-skelter, bearing left, and bearing right). O king, the horses seemed to understand Daruka’s son – his hands were so light, his energy so fiery. The horses never seemed to touch the ground. The taurine man circled ‘round Salwa’s army so easily that those who bore witness to the sight felt quite confused. The Lord of Saubha, finding Pradyumna’s maneuver intolerable, instantly sent three staves at his enemy’s charioteer. But the charioteer, ignoring the power of those staves, continued to head right. So, the Lord of Saubha, O hero, hurled a variety of weapons at my son. But the violent-hero-slayer who was the son of Rukmini proved that he had agile hands and smiled, severing the coming weapons. When he took note that Pradyumna had broken his arrows, the Lord of Saubha decided to create a false image like an Asura – he sent a heavy shower of arrows. But Pradyumna used Brahma’s weapon to break the coming Daityan weapons; he also sent away other kings’ winged staves. Then, the ones who took delight in bloodshed sent away the Daityan staves and wounded his head, chest, and face. At this, Salwa fell down, unconscious again. Then, the son of Rukmini aimed a second arrow at the low-minded, now-weak, and now-falling Salwa. Such an arrow could destroy any enemy. When the Dasarhas-worshipped arrow that flamed like fire and was as deadly as a poisonous snake was placed on the bow-string, disembodied voices from the sky said: ‘Oh!’ and ‘Alas!’ The divinities who were with Indra and Kubera (the Lord of Treasures) then sent Narada and the god of wind that could move at the speed of the mind. The two of them went to the son of Rukmini and gave them a message from a divinity: ‘O hero, do not kill King Salwa. Put your bow down. You cannot kill him on the battlefield. You know, however, that anyone can be killed by that arrow. O mighty-armed one, the holy creator says that Krishna, son of Devaki, will be the one to kill him. Make it so.’ So Pradyumna, his heart gladdened, put down his excellent bow and put the supreme arrow back in the quiver. O supreme king, mighty Salwa, troubled by Pradyumna’s arrows, then arose, disheartened, and quickly fled. O king, wicked Salwa, the Vrishnis having troubled him in this way, mounted his chariot, one of precious metals, and left Dwaraka behind, fleeing across the sky.’”

Chapter 337

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva continued: After your great Rajasuya sacrifice had been made and Salwa had left the Anartas’ city, I returned to that city. When I returned, Dwarka was dull. I didn’t hear Vedic chanting; I saw no sacrifices being made. Excellent virgins wore no ornaments; the gardens looked ugly. So, Hrdika’s son said: ‘Why are the Vrishnian men and women of Dwarka so woebegone, O tigrine man?’ O supreme king, the son of Hridika (Kritavarman) then told me that Salwa had invaded their city and later left it. O supreme Bharata tribesman, when I heard what he had done, I decided to kill Salwa. Cheering up the citizens, O supreme Bharata tribesman, I joyfully spoke to King Ahuka, Anakdundhuvi, and the main Vrishnian heroes: ‘O taurine Yadavas, do not leave this city. Be careful; know that I’m off to slay Salwa. I won’t leave Dwaravati without slaying him. After Salwa is dead and his chariot of precious metals ruined, I shall return. Make the music that enemies find dreadful!’ O taurine Bharata tribesman, the now-cheerful heroes replied: ‘Go now and slay the enemies!’ The good-hearted warriors blessed me; I made the Brahmins say auspicious things and bow down before both the best of the reborn and Shiva. Then, I mounted the chariot whose horses were named Saivya, and Sugriva. The sky was filled with the sounds of my clattering wheels and the sound of the supreme conch, Panchajanya. O king – O tigrine man –I, accompanied by my redoubled and victorious army that was made up of the four kinds of armies that were fearless on the battlefield, set out. After passing many countries, mountains topped with trees, and bodies of water, I came to Matrikavarta. When I was there, O tigrine man, I heard that Salwa was driving his chariot of precious metals toward the sea. I chased after him, and, O enemy-slayer, stopped at the sea. Salwa, riding in his chariot of precious metals, was panting heavily. O Yudhishthira, when the wicked-souled one saw me from far away, he asked me to fight him over and over again. I shot many an arrow at him that could cut him to the quick but not one found his chariot. My blood boiled to see this. O king, the one who was sinful to the core – the son of a Daitya who had unstoppable energy – shot thousands upon thousands of arrows in a heavy shower. O Bharata tribesman, he showered my soldiers, charioteer, and horses with staves! Nevertheless, the fight went on. Salwa’s devotees showered thousands of arrows upon me. The Asuras showered my horses, my chariot, and Daruka with arrows that could hit vital organs. O hero, the shower was so heavy that I could not see my horses, my chariot, or my charioteer! Weapons blanketed my soldiers. O son of Kunti, I, extraordinary when it comes to weaponry, chanted mantras so that tens of thousands of arrows could come to life. Now, the chariot of expensive metals was two miles away from us and in the sky, O Bharata tribesman, so my army could not detect it. So, my men could only stand on the battlefield and cheer for me with leonine roars and applause as if they were spectators. The colored arrows shot using the front of one’s hand hit the Danavas like biting insects. Then, one could hear the sounds of the ones riding in the chariot of precious metals falling down dead onto the ground or into the ocean due to arrow-wounds. The Danavas – their arms or heads severed – took the forms of headless corpses and fell down dead, roaring powerfully to the end. When they fell into the ocean, sea-creatures ate them. I sounded Panchajanya (the conch the sea had given me that was as delicate as a lotus-stalk and the color of milk, a downy jasmine blossom, the moon or silver) powerfully. When Salwa noted that his men were dying off, the one who owned the chariot of precious metals started being deceptive. He threw maces, plough-shares, winged arrows, lances, javelins, battle-axes, swords, arrows as fiery as javelins, thunderbolts, nooses, broadswords, barrel-bullets, staves, axes, and rockets at me. I let them come but used magic to send them away. When Salwa saw that his magic had no effect, he started using mountaintops. O Bharata tribesman, the amount of sunlight present changed dramatically; the day changed from pleasant to unpleasant on a whim. It would feel hot and then it would feel cold. Charcoal, ash, and weapons would fall from the sky. That’s how the enemy used magic against me. However, I used magic of my own to change things. When the time was right, waves of arrows came from all sides because of me. O mighty king – O son of Kunti, I made the dome of Heaven shine as if due to a hundred suns, a hundred moons, and almost one-hundred-thousand stars. People had no idea whether it was day or night and where specific points in the sky were because of me. When I sensed the confusion, I put Pragnastra on my bowstring, O son of Kunti. It shot out like tufts of cotton being blown by the wind. There was a great battle; a hair-raising one. O supreme king, when I was rejuvenated and agile once more, I continued fighting my enemy.’”

Chapter 338

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva continued: Then, O tigrine man, King Salwa, my great enemy, decided to, during our fight, climb higher into the sky. O mighty king, wicked Salwa showered me with sataghnis, powerful maces, flaming lances, and heavy clubs. But I quickly took up my bow and used my swift-moving arrows, breaking each weapon in half or thirds before the weapons even neared me. A great din filled the heavens. Then, Salwa blanketed Daruka, my horses, and my chariot with hundreds of taut staves. O hero, Daruka, seemingly faint, told me then: ‘I’m only staying on the battlefield because I must do my duty. Nevertheless, Salwa’s staves bring me so much pain that I must leave it. I’m so weak now!’ When I heard my charioteer say this, I gazed at his body and saw that arrows had damaged it. O supreme adopted son of Pandu, it was difficult to find a place on him that an arrow had not wounded. Arrows had made a copious amount of blood flow from his wounds; he looked like a mountain after a heavy storm when red chalk flows down it. O mighty-armed one, when I saw the reins-holding one – the one wounded and weakened by Salwa’s arrows – I soothed him.

"Just then, O Bharata tribesman, a certain Dwarakan came to my chariot and spoke to me in a friendly way, giving me, O hero, a message from Ahuka. It seemed that this Dwarakan was one of Ahuka’s devotees. Sad, his voice choked due to sorrow, he told me, O Yudhishthira: ‘O warrior, Ahuka, the Lord of Dwaraka, has a message for you. O Kesava, this is what your father’s friend says: O Vrishnian son – O unstoppable one – Salwa, because of your absence, came to Dwaraka today and murdered Vasudeva. Stop fighting. Stop, Janardana! Protect Dwaraka instead! Let that be your top priority.’ When I heard that, my heart felt heavy. I didn’t know what to do. O hero, when I heard about that tragedy, I silently scolded Satyaki, Baladeva, and mighty Pradyumna – I’d told them to protect Dwaraka and Vasudeva, myself going to Salwa’s city. Then, with a sorrowful heart, I asked myself if Baladeva (the enemy-destroyer), Satyaki, Rukmini’s son, Charudeshna (a powerful being), Shamva, and others were still alive. O tigrine man, if they were still alive, even the thunderbolt-wielder wouldn’t be able to kill that Suta son (Vasudeva)! I came to the conclusion that Vasudeva was dead and that the others Baladeva lead were dead too. O mighty king, when I thought that they had died, grief overwhelmed me. Then, feeling as such, I met up with Salwa again. I envisioned, O great king, Vasudeva falling from the chariot of precious metals. O warrior, I fainted. O ruler of men, it was as if my father was Yayati when he lost his merit and fell from Heaven. I saw my father falling like a bright soul whose merit had vanished – his head-protection was nasty and improper; his hair and clothing were a mess. Sharanga fell from my hand, O son of Kunti, and then I fainted. I sat down beside my chariot. O Bharata tribesman, my men, when they saw me lying beside my chariot like a corpse, cried out: ‘Oh! Alas!’ My father, his arms and lower extremities facing outward, looked like a bird falling out of the sky. O mighty-armed one, grievous and violent men wielding lances and axes used them. When I saw this, my heart trembled and I came to. Then, O warrior, I was unable to detect the chariot of expensive metals, mine enemy named Salwa, and my elderly father. However, I soon realized that what I saw was surely an illusion. When I was myself again, I started shooting hundreds of arrows.’”

Chapter 339

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Vasudeva continued: Then, O supreme Bharata tribesman, I took up my beautiful bow and beheaded the divinities’ enemies and threw them off the chariot of expensive metals. I used Sharanga to shoot many healthy, serpentine arrows that could fly quite high and that could contain a great deal of energy. O continuer of the Kuru line, Deception made it so that I could not see the chariot of expensive metals. I became quite curious! While I waited until the trick was over, the Danavan army whose soldiers looked terrifying and frighteningly hairy sent up a great howl. During the fierce battle I placed on my bow-string a weapon that pierced enemies, whether that enemy was in hearing-range or not. When the Danavas saw this, they fell silent. Soon, the Danavas that had howled were dead – the staves of mine that blazed like the Sun and could detect sound had done it. But, even though one set of Danavas had stopped howling, mighty king, another set shouted. So, my staves came their way. That’s why, O Bharata tribesman, the Asuras’ shouts filled the ten parts of the sky and beyond. I killed the sky-dwellers and the invisible ones with different kinds of arrows and with divine weapons that mantras brought to life. Then, O hero, the chariot of precious metals that could go anywhere its master wished – the one that puzzled me – was discovered at Pragjyotisha. All of a sudden, destructive Danavas with powerful shapes threw lots of large rocks at me. O supreme king, rocks fell on top of me until I resembled an ant-hill with hilltops and peaks. My horses, my charioteer, and my flag-staffs were also covered with heavy rocks. At this, the supreme, heroic, and Vrishnian warriors of mine panicked and fled in all directions. When others saw the situation I was in, O king, disembodied voices from Heaven, the sky, and the world cried out: ‘Oh! Alas!’. O king, my friends filled with sorrow and grief, starting to weep and wail, their hearts heavy. But mine enemies’ hearts filled with joy. But, unwavering one, I learnt afterward that I had defeated mine enemy. Taking hold of a stone-splitting thunderbolt (Indra’s favorite weapon), I ruined the pile of peaks. The horses, weighed down by the rocks and near death, started shaking. When they saw me, my friends celebrated as if the sun, sending the clouds away, had risen in the sky. But, because my horses were very near death due to the stones’ weight, my charioteer said befittingly: ‘O Vrishnian, look at Salwa, the one who both owns the chariot of precious metals and is sitting over there. Pay attention to him and make use of yourself! Remain calm and watch out for him. Kill Salwa, mighty-armed one. He must die, Kesava! O hero – O enemy-destroyer – one should always try to slay one’s enemies at all times. One should even pay attention to the weakened enemy one naturally strong is stepping on. That is my advice when it comes to your challenger. O tigrine men, make use of yourself and slay him. O lord – O supreme Vrishnian – don’t put things off. Killing him is the only way to stop him. A challenger who ruined Dwaraka is no friend of yours!’ O Kaunteya, when I heard my charioteer say this, I deemed his words true. Refocusing myself on the fight, I decided to kill Salwa and destroy the chariot of expensive metals. O hero, I told Daruka to wait a moment. Then, I placed my favorite weapon on my bow-string – it blazed, was divine, couldn’t be stopped, had an overwhelming amount of energy, could hit anything, and was quite splendid. I said to it, bringing it to life with mantras: ‘Bring the chariot of precious metals and the enemies of mine riding therein to ruin!’ Then, I, enraged, used my mighty arms to shoot my bow. I used a great and powerful discus named Sudarsana too – it turns Yakshas, Rakshasas, Danavas, and kings born into lowly families to ashes; it’s as sharp as a razor; it’s as pure as destructive Yama; it’s beyond compare; it kills one’s enemies. It flew up, resembling the sun that will flow extraordinarily well at the end of the age. It neared Saubha, a newly dull place, and went to its outer limits like a saw splitting a tall tree. Then, because the discus had passed through it, Saubha split down the middle as Tripura had when Maheswara hit it. Once the town of Saubha had fallen, the discus returned to me. Then, I hurled it a second time, asking it to go to Salwa. So, the discus split Salwa in two just as he was about to hurl a great mace. The discus was so zealous that it set Salwa on fire. After the brave warrior died, disenheartened Danavan females fled in all directions, crying out: ‘Oh! Alas!’. Then, I drove my chariot before Saubha and, with joy, blew my conch and cheered up my friends. When they saw that the town, one as lofty as the top of Mount Meru, was both alight and one whose palaces and entrances were no more, the Danavas fled in terror. Now that I had ruined Saubha and killed Salwa, I went back to the Anartas and comforted my friends. O king – O one who destroys violent heroes – that’s why I was not at the city named for an elephant (Hastinapura). O warrior, if I had not been absent, Suyodhana would be dead and the dice-game would have never taken place. What can I do now? A broken dam means that it will be difficult to hold back water.’”

"Upon speaking to the Kauravan (the mighty-armed one, the best male creature, the slayer of Madhu, and the one who had every grace imaginable) thusly, he worshipped the Pandavas and made ready to leave. Then, the mighty-armed hero respectfully greeted righteous Yudhishthira, the king, and Bhima and Krishna smelled the top of Yudhishthira’s head. Arjuna hugged him and the twins greeted him respectfully. Dhaumya honored him next, Draupadi worshipping him through her tears. Then, Subhadra and Abhimanyu mounted Krishna’s golden chariot. Krishna, upon mounting it himself, worshipped the Pandavas again. After Yudhishthira had been soothed, Krishna left for Dwaraka. He rode in a chariot that shone like the Sun; horses named Saivya and Sugriva drew it. After the Dasarhan had left, Dhristadyumna, Prishata’s son, left for his own city. He took Draupadi’s children with him. The King of Chedi, Dhrishtaketu then left for the beautiful city of Suktimati after bidding Pandavas farewell. O Bharata tribesman, the Kaikeyas, upon getting the permission of the son of Kunti (the one with boundless energy), greeted all the Pandavas with respect and departed. The Brahmins, Vaisyas, and people who had been a part of Yudhishthira’s kingdom refused to leave (though they were asked several times to do so). O supreme king – O taurine Bharata tribesman – the crowd that surrounded the mahatmas who were in Kamyaka Forest looked extraordinary. Yudhishthira, honoring the lofty-minded Brahmins, ordered his men to prepare the chariot when the time was right.’” 

Chapter 340

“Vaisampayana continued,

‘Once the Dasharhas’ chief had departed, heroic Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, and the twins (each one looking like Shiva and Krishna), along with their priest, mounted the luxurious chariots excellent horses were hitched to and all went into the forest. Along the way, the best kind of gold coins, clothing, and cows were given to Brahmins who knew Siksha (phonetics, phonology, and morphophonology), Akshara (syllables) and mantras. Now, there were twenty servants in tow with bows, bow-strings, blazing weapons, staves, arrows, and destructive engines. Indrasena hurried behind the princes in a chariot, bringing the princess’ clothes, ornaments, decorations, nursemaids, and female servants. Lofty-minded persons, on their way toward the supreme Kurus, circled him. The main Brahmins of Kurujangala greeted him with cheer. Righteous Yudhishthira, along with his brothers, greeted them with cheer in return. Then, the noteworthy king decided to pause and look at the Kurujangalan crowd. The noteworthy taurine Kuru felt fatherly love for them and the members of the crowd had the love for the Kuru chief that a son has for his father. The great crowd came to the Kuru hero and surrounded him. O king, they, shy and teary eyed, cried out: Alas! Oh, Lord! O Dharma! You are the Kurus’ chief as well as our king. Where are you going, righteous king? Like a father abandoning his sons, you left your people and countrymen behind. We curse Dhritarashtra’s cruel-hearted son! We curse the low-minded son of Suvala! We curse you, Karna! O supreme king, he wishes you ill; you, one who’s steadfast when it comes to virtue. You have a place in the unchallenged city of Indraprastha, a city with Mount Kailasa’s splendor. Where are you going, O noteworthy and righteous king? You left it behind, O doer of extraordinary deeds. O noteworthy one, you abandoned Maya’s palace, one that has no equal and one that has the splendor of the divinities. That palace is like a divine mirage; the gods will always protect it. Where are you going, son of Dharma? Vibhatsu, one who knew the paths of virtue, pleasure, and profit, proclaimed as a reply: The king has decided that living in the forest will tarnish his enemies’ reputation. Now, you are led by the reborn ones. We, ones who know virtue and profit, ask that you go, one by one, to the ascetics and ask them to grace you. Ask them what would do us the most good. After the Brahmins and the other caste-members had heard Arjuna’s words, O king, they greeted him with cheer and circled the supremely virtuous men. Upon bidding farewell to the son of Pritha, to Vrikodara, to Dhananjaya, to Yajnaseni, and to the twins and upon being ordered by Yudhishthira, they then returned to their dwelling-places, ones that were within the realm. Their hearts were heavy.’”

Chapter 341

“Vaisampayana said,

‘After they had departed, the virtuous son of Kunti who always kept his promises named Yudhishthira said to his half-brothers: We have to live in this lonely forest for a dozen years. Find for me, within this mighty forest, a place that has plenty of birds, deer, flowers, and fruits. It must be beautiful to look upon, auspicious, and populated by those who are virtuous. I want to live somewhere pleasant during the time of our exile. So, Dhananjaya, one who Yudhishthira had spoken to, answered the son of Dharma after showing the noteworthy king respect in such a way that it was as if Yudhishthira was his guru. He said: You, with respect, have served the great and the elderly rishis. You know everything about the world of men. O taurine Bharata tribesman, you’ve respectfully served Brahmins, Brahmins such as Dwaipayana and the great ascetic named Narada. Narada controls his senses and can go to any gate that leads to a world – Brahma’s world-gate, the Gandharavas’ world gate, the Apsaras’ world-gate, and others’ world-gates. You know without doubt what the Brahmins believe; you know, O king, about their power. O king, you know what would do us some good. O great king, we will take shelter wherever you’d like us to do so. There’s a lake full of holy water called Dwaitavana. It has plenty of flowers, is beautiful to look upon, and is inhabited by many species of birds. If doing so would please you, we’ll live by Lake Dwaitavana for twelve years. Would doing so displease you? And Yudhishthira replied: O Partha, you’ve moved me. Let’s go to the holy, famous, and great lake known as Dwaitavana.

"So, the virtuous adopted son of Pandu and a number of Brahmins went to the holy lake known as Dwaitavana. Some of the Brahmins surrounding Yudhishthira offered up fire, some surrounding him did not, and some devoted themselves to studying The Vedas. Others surrounding him begged for their food or were called Vanaprasthas (meaning they were forest-hermits who’d somewhat abstained from the material world). Still others surrounding him were mahatmas who kept strict vows; abstentious success had crowned them. The taurine Bharata tribesmen who were Pandu’s adopted sons then set out with a number of Brahmins and entered the holy, delightful Dwaita Forest. It was the end of summer, so the mighty forest was covered with resin sals, palm trees, mango trees, honey trees, nipa palm trees, kadam trees, white damar trees, hollock trees, and bayur trees. Many such trees were in bloom. There were flocks of peacocks, gallinules, Greek partridges, peacocks, and Indian cuckoos perched atop very tall trees in the Dwaita Forest, singing melodies. The king also saw great herds of large, hill-sized elephants in that forest. Liquid was trickling down their skin because it was mating-season. Female elephants followed the males. The king went to the Saraswati and saw many ascetics success had crowned living in the surrounding forest. He saw virtuous men with purified souls, dredlocks, and tree-bark covering their bodies. Once they had all dismounted, the king (the supremely virtuous man), his half-brothers, and his servants entered Dwaita Forest. It was as if Indra, the one with boundless energy, were entering Heaven. Lots of Charanas and lots of Siddhas, because they wanted to see the truth-clinging king, soon approached him. The forest-dwellers circled the leonine king who had a great mind. Upon greeting the Siddhas and being greeted by them in return in such a way as a king or god should do, the supremely virtuous man, palms together, entered the forest along with the best of those who had been reborn. The noteworthy and virtuous king, having been given a return greeting by the virtuous ascetics who had neared him, sat at the foot of a great tree that flowers decorated with the others surrounding him. This is something his late father would have done. The Bharatan chiefs (Bhima, Dhananjaya, the twins, and Krishna) and their servants were now exhausted. They dismounted and circled the supreme king. The mighty tree, weighed down by its own vines, had five noteworthy archers resting under it – it resembled a mountain that had five large elephants sleeping on its side.’”

Chapter 342

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Now feeling troubled, the princes thusly found a pleasant dwelling-place in a forest. The forest had plenty of resin sals; the Saraswati kept it damp. The replicas of Indra started to play and the noteworthy king who was a taurine Kuru started pleasing the Sanyasas, munis, and main forest-Brahmins by offering them excellent fruits and roots. The Pandavas’ fatherly priest named Dhaumya – the one with a great amount of natural energy – started performing the rituals that involve sacrifices – the Ishti and the Paitreya – for the forest-dwelling Pandavas’ sake. Then, someone came to the successful Pandavas’ new home. Now, the Pandavas had had their kingdom taken away from them. It was the elderly rishi with powerful, boundless energy named Markandeya. The taurine Kuru– Mahatma Yudhishthira – the one with strength and power like no other – honored the great muni that divinities and rishis who helped mankind respected. Markandeya had a fire’s fiery splendor; the noteworthy and omniscient muni with energy like no other saw Draupadi, Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna with ascetics around them. He smiled, remembering Rama. Righteous Yudhishthira, grievous because of him, asked: The ascetics feel sorry for me. Why are you smiling? You’re the only one doing so; they are ascetics. And, Markandeya said: O child, I too feel sorry for you. I’m not laughing at you; joy-borne pride has not taken over my heart. When I think of what has happened to you, Rama, Dasaratha’s son, comes to mind. Rama, one devoted to truth, went with Lakshman into the forest as ordered by his father. Long ago, O son of Pritha, I saw him wandering over the hills of Rishyamuka, bow in hand. Noteworthy Rama was like Indra, the one who ruled Yama and the one who slew Namuchi. Nevertheless, the innocent one had to, obeying his father, live in the forest. He saw doing so as his duty. Noteworthy Rama was as powerful as Shakra and unable to be conquered on the battlefield. Nevertheless, he had to wander through the forest without anything and anyone to please him. It’s wrong to say: ‘I am mighty!’ By way of truth, King Nabhaga, King Bhagiratha, and other kings tamed the sea-ringed world. Then, O child, they earned the worlds beyond. That’s why it’s wrong to say: ‘I am mighty!’ O honored man, the virtuous and honest ruler of Kasi and the virtuous, honest ruler of Karusha were called crazy dogs because they gave up their land and their wealth. That’s why it’s wrong to say: ‘I am mighty!’ O supreme man – O son of Pritha – the seven righteous rishis, because they followed the written Vedic law the holy creator made, shine as stars in the sky. That’s why it’s wrong to say: ‘I am mighty!’ O honored man – O king, mighty elephants the size of mountain-peaks with tusks follow the holy creator’s laws. That’s why it’s wrong to claim something that’s not rightfully yours. O supreme king, each specie of animal follows the rules the holy creator made for it. That’s why it’s wrong to claim something that’s not rightfully yours. O son of Pritha, when it comes to all creatures, you’re more truthful, virtuous, and proper. Your fame and energy have Fire or Sun’s splendor. O illustrious one, you keep your promises. After your tortuous years of exile are over, O king, you’ll steal back your blazing prosperity from the Kauravas – your energy will assist you.

"After saying this to Yudhishthira, one sitting amidst ascetics and friends, the great rishi greeted Dhaumya and the rest of the Pandavas. Then, he headed north.’” 

Chapter 343

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Whilst the noteworthy adopted son of Pandu continued living in Dwaita Forest, the great forest’s population of Brahmins increased. The forest’s lake, one that always reverberated the sounds of people reciting from The Vedas, turned as sacred as a world belonging to Brahma. It made one feel delight beyond delight to hear Yaju-, Rik-, Sama-and other types of verses spoken by Brahmins. When the Brahmins recited from The Vedas and the sons and stepsons of Pritha’s bowstrings twanged, it made a unique show of Brahmin and Kshatriya customs that was quite lovely. One evening, a Dalvyan, a rishi named Vaka, said to the son of Kunti named Yudhishthira who was in the midst of rishis: Look, O Chief of the Kurus who is the son of Pritha – it’s time for the Brahmins here to perform a Homa. It’s time for the ones devoted to being ascetically austere to light all the sacred fires. The ones keeping to their strict vows are protected by you; they’re performing the rituals central to this holy place. Bhrigu’s descendents, Angiras’ descendents, Vasishta’s descendents, Kasyapa’s descendents, Agastya’s noteworthy son’s descendents, and Atri’s sons’ descendents, ones who keep to their excellent vows, are one with you. All supreme Brahmins are, in fact. Listen, O Kuru-son whom Kunti gave birth to, to me. This message is for you and your half-brothers: Flames swallow a forest with the help of Wind; Brahmins and Kshatriyas trade off energy, power, and might to swallow all enemies. O child, anyone who wants to control this world and the one to come for a long time should always want the Brahmins to help him. A king can kill his enemies with the help of a Brahmin who both knows about faith and worldly affairs and has neither zeal nor idiocy. King Vali, one who cherished his subjects, did the things necessary to earn liberation. He knew that Brahmins were the lone key. Because of Brahmins, anything the Asuran son of Virochana named Vali wanted was given to him; his supply of wealth was never exhausted. But, when Vali did the Brahmins wrong, he was destroyed. The world and its wealth won’t love each other long as husband and wife if a Kshatriya lives without a Brahmin. The sea-ringed earth bows down to the one who’s both ruled by a Brahmin and taught by him how to do one’s duty. Like an elephant on the battlefield without a driver, a Kshatriya will, without Brahmins, lose strength. A Brahmin’s eyesight is beyond compare; a Kshatriya’s might is beyond compare. Brahmins’ eyesight and Kshatriyas’ might are bowed down to as one by the world with cheer. Fire builds in strength with the help of Wind – when this happens, Fire is able to swallow straw and wood. Similarly, Brahmins help kings swallow enemies. Wise Kshatriyas, in order to earn what they don’t have and build up their treasures, take Brahmins’ advice. O son of Kunti, you, in order to earn what you don’t have, build up your treasures, and give wisely; you ought to rely on a reputable Brahmin who knows The Vedas, is wise, and is experienced. O Yudhishthira, you’ve always had the utmost respect for the Brahmins. That’s why your fame is both great and something that blazes through the three worlds.

"Then, the Brahmins who were with Yudhishthira worshipped the Dalvyan named Vaka. Yudhishthira was quite pleased when he heard them. After that, Brahmins who kept to their strict vows worshipped Yudhishthira: Dwaipayana, Narada, Jamadagnya, Prithusravas, Indradyumna, Bhalaki, Kritachetas, Sahasrapat, Karnasravas, Munja, Lavanaswa, Kasyapa, Harita, Sthulakarana, Agnivesya, Saunaka, Kritavak, Suvakana, Vrihadaswa, Vibhavasu, Urdharetas, Vrishamitra, Suhotra, and Hotravahana. It was as if rishis were worshipping Purandara in Heaven.’” 

Chapter 344

“Vaisampayana said,

‘The ones who had been banished to the forest – the sons and stepsons of Pritha – talked with one another, sorrow and grief troubling them. Krishna was with them. The handsome, intelligent Krishna who was both dear to her husbands and devoted to them said to Yudhishthira: Surely the wicked, cruel, and low-minded son of Dhritarashtra hasn’t shed a single tear for our sake. O king, that evil-hearted wretch sent you all, myself included, to the forest wearing deer-skins without a second thought. The wretched, evil-doer’s heart must be made of steel! To speak to you, his virtuous, elder brother so cruelly! To make trouble for one who deserves all happiness (never anything woeful)! The low-minded, sinful wretch is having a good time with his friends now. O Bharata tribesman – O king, when you left for the forest wearing deer-skin, everyone wept except for Duryodhana, Karna, low-minded Sakuni, and the evil, violent brother of Duryodhana named Dusasana. Except for those four men, O supreme Kuru, the Kurus, quite sorrowful, wept. When I look at your new bed and when I think about the past, O king, I grieve for people who do not deserve to feel woe; I grieve for the ones who were raised in the lap of luxury. When I think about the ivory chair in your court, the bejeweled one…when I think of your new seat made of halfa grass…grief overwhelms me, O king. Kings encircled you, O king, in your court. How can I have peace in my heart when I see what’s become of you? Your body once shone like the sun, decorated with henna. Alas! When I see how mud and dirt coat your body now, Grief renders me senseless. You were once, O king, typically dressed in pure white silk. Now, you wear raggedly clothes. In the past, O king, purified food – all kinds of it – was carried out of your home on golden plates, ready to serve Brahmins by the thousands. O king, the best kind of food was given to the homeless ascetics and the ascetics with homes. You used to live in a mansion that rain did not touch; there were always plenty of food-covered plates (thousands in number). You worshipped the Brahmins, granting their every wish. How can I be at peace if this is not what I see now? In the past, great king, your half- brothers, ones naturally youthful and ones who wore earrings, were served sweets and dressed by those with talent in that department. Alas! O king, the ones who don’t deserve to feel woe live in the forest and forage for food. My heart, holy king, knows nothing of peace. The time is right, Bhimasena! You live with your sorrow in the forest, Bhimasena, and it’s amazing to me that your anger has not yet ignited. Don’t you get angry, O king, when you see noteworthy Bhimasena (one who does all without help) feeling quite troubled? He deserves to feel happy in so many ways! Don’t you get angry, O king, when you look at Bhima? He, one now living in the forest, used to be surrounded by lots of vehicles; he used to wear fancy clothes. He, an honored, noteworthy person, is ready to annihilate the Kurus on the battlefield. He’s tolerating his sorrow just because he wants you to keep your promise. Arjuna, O king, is both ambidextrous and talented when it comes to handiwork and archery. He’s as good as Kartavirya and seems to have a thousand arms. He is to his enemies as Yama will be at the end of the age. Brahmins were served by the world’s kings at your sacrifice because of Arjuna’s power, right? Aren’t you furious, O king? Arjuna, the tigrine man men who’s worshipped by divinities, is so anxious now. It makes me grievous to know, O Bharata tribesman, that, when you see the banished son of Pritha, a prince who both doesn’t deserve to feel troubled and a prince who was raised in the lap of luxury, your anger does not ignite. Arjuna – you and your one chariot and defeated divinities, men, and snakes – why hasn’t your fury ignited for the banished one? O king, Arjuna, though banished, has given chariots, other kinds of vehicles, horses, and elephants away. He’s stolen the world’s kings’ treasures; he censures enemies; he can send a shower of five-hundred arrows – why hasn’t your fury ignited for him? Hasn’t the exile of Nakula made you zealously furious? He, O king, is handsome, agile, youthful, and the best swordsman. O king, why have you forgiven your enemy? Doesn’t it make you angry, O Yudhishthira, to see the exiled son of Madri – the handsome and brave one named Sahadeva? Why hasn’t your anger ignited, O king, when you see Nakula and Sahadeva? Grief overwhelms them even though they don’t deserve to feel troubled. Why, O king, have you forgiven your enemy? I, one in exile, come from Drupada’s line. I’m Dhrishtadyumna’s sister, the daughter-in-law of noteworthy Pandu, and the devoted wife of heroes. You feel no anger, O supreme Bharata tribesman. If you did, you’d be moved by the sight of your brothers and the sight of me, ones in trouble. Now, they say that it is impossible for a Kshatriya to have no anger. You are the exception! The Kshatriya, O son of Pritha, who finds he has no energy when the time is right will be snubbed forevermore by all creatures. So, O king, you shouldn’t forgive your enemies. Surely you have the power to annihilate them. O king, the Kshatriya who is not forgiven when the time is right will be disliked by all creatures; such a one will be destroyed in this world and the next.’”

Chapter 345

“Vaisampayana said,

‘Krishna continued: Let me tell you a relative story, one about the conversation that took place long ago between Prahlada and Vali (Virochana’s son). One day, Vali asked his grandfather, Prahlada, about the mysterious science of duty. Prahlada was the quite wise ruler of both the Asuras and the Danavas: ‘Father, which gives one merit? Forgiving, being mighty, or being zealous? I’m confused. O Father, enlighten me, the inquirer. O one who knows all about duty, which one of those three gives one merit? I will consider the one you say is meritorious as the end-all, be-all.’ Having been thusly questioned by Vali, Vali’s wise grandfather, one who knew all the answers, answered his grandson (the one who’d come to him because he wanted him to quell his doubt) thusly: ‘Here are two truths, O child: Might is not always meritorious. Forgiveness also is not always meritorious. Lots of bad things always happen to a forgiving man. Servants, strangers, and enemies always disrespect a forgiving man. No one bows down before a forgiving man. So, O child, that is why educated men say that one should not always forgive. A forgiving man’s servants disrespect him and harshly censure him. Such nasty-minded men will try to take his riches. Nasty-souled servants will also try to take his vehicles, clothes, ornaments, beds, seats, food, drinks, and his other belongings. Such men never give their things away, even though their master tells them to. A master ought to be respected but such men don’t respect their master. Disrespect is worse than death in this world. O child, people are nasty to a forgiving man – his sons, his servants, his devotees…even strangers are nasty to a forgiving man. People disrespect a forgiving man – disrespectful men lust after his wife; she, in turn, becomes loose. The pleasure-seeking servant who is never reprimanded by his master will always look to be wicked; such persons will always try to harm their master. These are just some of the bad things that come with being a forgiving man. Let me tell you, O son of Virochana, about the bad things that happen to a forgiving man. An enraged man who’s surrounded by darkness will always, because of his energy, punish both guilty and innocent people. This will separate him from his friends and make both relatives and strangers hate him. Such a man, because he insults others, will lose wealth, be disrespected, grieve, be hated, be puzzled, and win enemies. A furious man, because of his anger, will punish men and hear nasty things said about him. Such a one will lose land, friends, relatives, and, in the end, his life. The one who shows his benefactor and his enemy his might will alarm the world like a snake alarming the dwellers of a house it has chosen to inhabit. If one alarms the world, how can such a one prosper? People, when they find another’s flaw, hurt that person. So, men should neither be too mighty nor too forgiving at all times. Men should always either show their might or forgive when the time is right. The one who’s forgiving or violent and mighty when the time is right will be happy in this world and in the next. Let me now tell you about forgiveness. This is what the educated ones have deduced; everyone should go by what they’ve learned. Listen carefully! Forgive the man who’s helped you, no matter if he’s done something really bad to you. Forgive those who sin out of ignorance or foolishness – it’s not easy to become educated and wise. Punish the one who sinned against you knowingly. Such a one ought to be punished, even if the offense was trivial. Never forgive a deceptive man. A man’s initial crime ought to be forgotten, but, a man ought to be punished for his second crime, no matter how insignificant that crime was. But, if a jury finds that a man accidentally committed a crime, such a man ought to be pardoned. Humility endangers both might and weakness. Humility can accomplish all. So, humility is mightier than it may seem. One should act, keeping the locus, time, personal strength, and personal weakness in mind. If one acts while ignoring locus and time, such a one will always fail. So, one ought to look out for the right place and the right time. Sometimes, criminals ought to be forgiven because they’re afraid of others. These are the times when forgiveness is acceptible. Sometimes, physically fighting your enemies is acceptible.’

"Methinks, O king, the time has come for you to be mighty. When it comes to those Kurus (the covetous sons of Dhritarashtra who always wish us harm), forgiveness is not the key. It would be fitting of you to be mighty. Humble and forgiving people are disrespected but violent people oppress others. A true king knows whether, when the time is right, to either be humble and forgive or be violent and oppressive.’”

Chapter 346

“Vaisampayana then said,

‘Then, Yudhishthira said: Anger kills men and prospers in their name. O supremely wise one, you must know that anger is behind prosperity and misfortune. O beautiful one, the one who controls his temper earns prosperity. The one who gives into anger earns because of his violent anger, misfortune. Anger is behind the destruction of all creatures. If anger ruins the world, how can one such as myself give in to his anger? An angry man sins, kills his teachers, says nasty things to his superiors, and cannot tell if something ought or ought not be said. An angry man can do and say anything. Angry men can kill the innocent and can worship those who deserve to die. An angry man can put himself in Yama’s world. So, because they know the problems with anger, wise men control their tempers. They want to earn lofty prosperity on earth and in the next world. That’s why men with tranquil souls have exiled Fury from their selves. How can one like me give into fury? O daughter of Drupada, think on these things and realize that Anger has not animated me. If one decides to do nothing when a furious person faces him, such a one is a savior, like the savior who quells others’ fear. Sometimes, such a one, during such a face-off, is seen as a doctor. When a weak man is chased by other, mightier men, and he, like a fool, is angry with them, he will self-destruct. The one who throws his life away won’t earn a place in a world of the afterlife. They say, O daughter of Drupada, that a weak man should always tame his own fury. If a wise man’s fury lies dormant despite others’ persecution of him – if he acts blasé toward his oppressor – he’ll live in a world of the afterlife with joy. This is why others say that a wise man, no matter if he is strong or weak, should always forgive his oppressor (no matter if the oppressed man is in dire straits). This is why, Krishna, virtuous men praise the ones who have controlled their tempers. Yes, the virtuous say that honest and forgiving men will always be victorious. It’s better to be honest than be deceitful; it’s better to be kind than cruel. How can one like me, when out to kill Duryodhana, be angry? There are so many problems with anger; virtuous men banish Anger from their souls. Omniscient, educated people say that those with good characters fake their furiousness. Educated and truly insightful men say that those with truly good characters use intellect to stifle building fury. O lovely-hipped one, angry men distort things. Angry men neither see the right path nor respect others. Angry men murder both the guilty and the innocent. Furious men kill their teachers. So, a man with a good character ought to send his fury far away from him. A man who fury has overwhelmed finds it hard to earn generosity, dignity, courage, skill, and other things that a good man possesses. The man who abandons anger is zealous in the right way, but, O wise one, it’s very hard for an angry man to be properly zealous when the time is right. Ignorant men say that anger is just like energy. Men use fury to destroy the world. That’s why the man who wants to be well-behaved ought to abandon his anger. He who chooses not to show the excellent virtues of his caste will, even if he is well-behaved, give into fury. Fools with dark minds sin in every way, so how, perfect one, can one like me sin like that kind of fool? If, on earth, no man had the same amount of forgiveness as Mother Earth, there’d always be anger-borne strife. If it was an-eye-for-an-eye and tit-for-tat, there’d be destruction and sin. If it were right for a man to say nasty things back to the man who said nasty things to him – if it were right for a wounded man to wound the one who wounded him – if it were right for a scorned man to scorn the scorner – if it were right for a father to murder his son and vice versa – if it were right for a husband to murder his wife and vice versa – then, O Krishna, the anger in the world would never allow newborns. O lovely-faced one, babies are born into a world of peace. Kings who give into fury, O Draupadi, make their subjects meet with ruination. Thus, fury leads to destruction and trouble. Creatures live and prosper because there are men as forgiving as the world in the world today. O beautiful one, one should always forgive. They say that the human race continues because men forgive. So, a wise, excellent, and strong man controls his temper and forgives, even if the one who hurt him insulted him, oppressed him, or made him angry. The man who controls his temper will enjoy immortal worlds; the angry man who is destroyed both in this world and the world to come is a fool. O Krishna, noteworthy, forgiving Kashyapa has spoken about forgiving men: ‘Forgiveness is a virtue; it’s a sacrifice, The Vedas, and a shruti. He who knows this can always forgive. Forgiveness is Brahma, Truth, and stored abstentious merit. Forgiveness protects future abstentious merit; forgiveness is asceticism. Forgiveness is holiness. Forgiveness binds the universe together. Forgiving people are forgiven; they earn the worlds others earn by performing meritorious sacrifices, knowing The Vedas, or having lofty abstentious merit. Those who perform Vedic sacrifices and those who perform meritorious, sacred rituals earn other worlds. Forgiving men earn the greatly beloved worlds that are a part of Brahma’s world. Forgiveness gives mighty people might; forgiveness is both sacrifice and peace-of-mind. How, O Krishna, could someone like me abandon forgiveness? Forgiveness is what I’ve mentioned before; it’s what Brahman is established in, it’s truth, it’s wisdom, it’s the worlds. Wise men always forgive when they can to earn Brahman. This world and the world beyond belong to forgiving men. Forgiving earns one honor on earth and a state of blessedness in the afterlife. The men who always control their temper using forgiveness earn the lofty worlds. Thus, it is said that forgiveness is the ultimate virtue. That’s what Kashyapa said about those who always forgive. Be happy, Draupadi! You’ve heard, now, about forgiveness. Don’t let yourself become furious. Our grandfather, Santanu’s son, bows down to Peace. Krishna, Devaki’s son, bows down to Peace. Drona and Vidura (Kshatri) talk about peace. Kripa and Sanjaya preach about peace. Somadata, Yuyutshu, the son of Drona, and our grandfather (Vyasa) always talk about peace. If they continually ask him to be peaceful, methinks King Dhritarashtra will give us back our kingdom. But, if he gives into temptation, he’ll be destroyed. O lady, a crisis that sends one into grave misfortune has been written into the Bharata-tribe’s history books. This is the conclusion I reached some time ago. Suyodhana doesn’t deserve to have the kingdom. He’s been unable to forgive. Even though I’m the one who ought to be on the throne, I’ve been able to forgive. Forgiveness and kindness are two things self-controlled people possess; they represent immortal virtue. That’s why I want to have them.’”

Chapter 347

“Vaisampayana said,

‘But Draupadi said: I bow down to Dhatri and Vidhatri! They were able to cloud your mind! When you think about the burden you’ll have to bear, you don’t think like your fathers and grandfathers. No, you think like the ones who are in unlike situations. For every action there is a reaction; liberation is chosen by fools. Men prosper by being virtuous, kind, forgiving, bold, and terrified of scoldings. If that were a lie, O Bharata tribesman, the intolerable misfortune wouldn’t have overwhelmed neither you, one who doesn’t deserve to suffer such misfortune, nor your quite zealous half-brothers. When talking about your days of prosperity and your current days of misfortune, O Bharata tribesman, virtue is and was the thing that was dearest to your heart, more dear to you than life itself. Your kingdom and your life have to do with virtue – Brahmins, supervisors, and divinities know it. You can leave Bhimasena, Arjuna, the twin sons of Madri, and I behind but you cannot banish your own virtue. I’ve heard that a king protects Virtue. Virtue, protected by that king, protects him in return. Where is your protective virtue now? Like a man’s shadow, O tigrine man, your heart, with a one-track mind, chases after Virtue. You respect your equals, inferiors, and superiors at all times. Once you earned the world, your amount of pride remained the same. O son of Pritha, you always worship Brahmins, gods, Pitris, Swadhas (the holy beings receiving the sacrifice-offering), and other beings deserving of worship. O son of Pritha, you grant every wish the Brahmins have and satisfy them. Yatis (those who have renounced the world) Sanyasis, and homely beggars eat in your home off of golden plates – I’ve fed them. You give gold and food to the Vanaprasthas. Anything in your home can be given to the Brahmins. During the Viswadeva sacrifice, one made for the sake of your peace-of-mind, the offerings are offered to guests and all other creatures first. You eat the leftovers. Ishtis, Pashubandhas, sacrifices that ask for wishes to be granted, holy rituals for the home, and Paka sacrifices always take place in your home. Within this great forest – one that’s empty and frequented by thieves – you live in exile without a kingdom. Still, your amount of virtue is the same. You’ve performed the sacrifices that require large gifts -- the Aswamedha, the Rajasuya, the Pundarika, and the Gosava. O king, you, perverted during that terrible hour in which you lost a dice-game, bet and lost your kingdom, riches, weapons, brothers, and wife. Why did gambling entice you? You’re a humble, kind, giving, modest, and honest person, O king. I am nearly comatose, O king; my heart cannot take the grief therein when I bear witness to your troubles and this grave misfortune. To explain how men are slaves to God’s will and never slaves to their own desires, an old story is told. The holy, supreme Lord – the holy Ruler of All -- controls the welfare, woe, happiness, and misery of all creatures prior to their current birth, thinking about their former lives. The karma from their past lives is like the seed destined to become the Tree of Life. O hero among men, like a wooden marionette, creatures move when the Lord of All moves them. O Bharata tribesman, space covers all – God, pervading every creature, rules its welfare and its woe. Like a leashed bird, every creature depends on God. Everyone’s God’s slave and His alone. Men do not rule themselves. Like a strung pearl, a bull with a ring through its nose, or a tree fallen onto a stream, creatures obey the Creator’s commands because the Creator’s spirit pervades all and because creatures are established in Him. Men, dependant on God, the holy, universal Soul, are eternally dependent. Blanketed in darkness, creatures do not rule their own welfare and misfortune. God drives every creature to Heaven or Hell. Lightweight stalks need powerful gusts of wind; all creatures, O Bharata tribesman, depend on God. God, both pervading all creatures and involved in good and bad deeds, moves the universe without anyone or anything being able to tell that He did so. My body was made by God (the holy, supreme Lord of All) to be rewarded or punished for deeds. Bear witness to God’s mirage – it makes people slay others of their own kind. But, munis who know truth see their fellow man otherwise. It’s like when some see sunbeams as a pencil-sized ray of light and others see a shaft of light filled with food- and drink-related germs. Common men see worldly things differently. God, the Maker of All, makes the growth and destruction of each man different. O Yudhishthira, the holy, self-created Grandfather – almighty God – creates illusions and makes men kill other men without their realizing that He is behind it. It’s like a still, dull piece of wood being used to snap another of its kind…it’s like stone smashing stone or iron smashing iron. The holy, supreme Lord, as much as He pleases, plays with his creatures. He’ll build them up or knock them down like a child playing with a clay toy. O king, methinks God acts like a parent does toward

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Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 26.07.2017
ISBN: 978-3-7438-2477-5

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