‘“How can I sacrifice my daughter? She is still a child, not yet an adult, and without any signs of coming of age. The great-souled creator gave her to me in trust so that I could find her a husband. Through her, together with my ancestors, I will be able to attain worlds reached by those who have sons through their daughters. How can I give up a daughter I have fathered myself? Some men think that a father loves a son more than a daughter. Not I. I love them equally. How can I give up this innocent girl? On her are based my continuity and the worlds that bring eternal bliss.
‘“If I sacrifice myself and go to the other world, I will still have to repent. Abandoned by me, they will not be able to live. To give up any one of these6 will be a cruel act, condemned by those who are learned. But if I sacrifice myself, they will also die without me. Great distress has befallen me. I do not know how to escape. I am cursed. What path will I and my relatives follow? It is better that I should die with all of them. I cannot live.”’
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‘The brahmani said, “You must not grieve like a common person. For someone who is as learned as you, this is not the time to grieve. All men must certainly come to an end. If something is certain, one should not grieve over it. A man desires a wife, a son and a daughter for his own sake. Therefore, since you have great learning, abandon this grief. I shall go there myself. It is the supreme and eternal duty of women in this world that they should give up their lives for the welfare of their husbands. Done by me, such an act will bring you happiness. It will also bring me eternal fame in this world and the hereafter. What I have told you is the highest dharma. Through this, it will perceptibly bring you artha and dharma. You have already obtained from me the purpose for which a man acquires a wife—a daughter and a son. Through this, I have been freed from the debt I owe you.
‘“You are capable of supporting and protecting your children. I cannot protect and support the children as you can. You have given me all that I desire and protected me from all danger. If I am abandoned by you, how can these young children and I survive? How can an unprotected widow with two young children support them both, while treading a path of virtue? How can I protect our daughter when she is wooed by arrogant and selfish suitors who are unworthy of an alliance with you? Like birds grabbing a lump of meat thrown on the ground, all men crave women without their husbands. O best of the twice-born! Solicited by evil-hearted ones, I might waver and might not be able to stick to the path of virtue. How can I ensure that this only daughter of the lineage, young and innocent, walks along the path trodden by her forefathers? How can I teach this young boy, fatherless and without a protector, every desirable quality so as to make him as learned in virtue as you? When I am in this state, those who are unworthy will overcome me and demand this unprotected girl, like Shudras craving to hear the Vedas. If I refuse to give her, endowed with all qualities and with your blood, they may forcibly carry her away, like crows after sacrificial offerings. When they see a son who is unlike you and your daughter under the control of those who are unworthy, I will be despised in the worlds. O Brahmana! I do not know what will happen to me, under the control of the arrogant. But there is no doubt that I shall die. There is no doubt that these young children, deprived of you and of me, will perish like fish when the water dries up. There is no doubt that without you, all three of us will perish in this way. Therefore, you should sacrifice me.
‘“O Brahmana! Those who are learned in dharma have said that the supreme salvation of women is to go on the last journey before their husbands and not remain under the protection of their sons. For you, I am ready to give up this son and this daughter, my relatives and my life. To be always engaged in what pleases her husband is a greater duty for a woman than sacrifices, austerities, vows and donation of alms. Thus, the act I wish to perform is in conformity with the supreme dharma. It is for the welfare of you and of the lineage. The virtuous say that objects of desire, children, possessions and friends, even the wife, are cherished to rescue oneself in a time of distress. O you who have extended your lineage! The wise ones have said that if all one’s relations are placed on one side of the scale, they do not equal oneself on the other side. My lord! Thus, do through me what has to be done. Save yourself by sacrificing me. Give me permission and protect my children. In deciding the path of virtue for men, those who are learned in dharma have said that women should never be killed and that rakshasas also know dharma. Therefore, he may not kill me. It is certain that he will kill a man. But it is doubtful that he will kill a woman. O you who are learned in dharma! Therefore, you should let me go. I have enjoyed my life. I have enjoyed great happiness. I have trodden the path of dharma. Through you, I have borne beloved children. I will not grieve if I have to die. I have borne a son and I have grown old. I have always desired to do that which pleases you. Counting all my blessings, I have arrived at my decision. O revered one! You can take another wife after you have sacrificed me. You will then again be able to tread the path of dharma. O virtuous man! To have more than one wife is not a sin among men. But it is a grave sin for a woman to have another husband after the first. Having considered all this and realizing that your self-sacrifice must be condemned, today, without any delay, save yourself, your lineage and these two children through me.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On hearing her words, her husband embraced her. Stricken with grief, he shed copious tears, along with his wife.’
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Vaishampayana said, ‘When the daughter heard these words of her parents, who were extremely sorrowful, she was overcome with grief and spoke to them. “Why are you lamenting so grievously? Why are you weeping as if you have no one to protect you? Now listen to what I have to say. On hearing my words, do what is proper. There is no doubt that dharma dictates that I have to be sacrificed at some time. Since I have to be abandoned in any case, abandon me now and save everyone through me alone. That is the reason men desire children, so that they can be saved. That time has come. Use me as a boat and save yourselves. A child saves everywhere, in this world and in the next. It is because a child saves everywhere that the learned know a child by the name of putra.7 My grandfathers have always desired to have daughter’s sons through me. Now I shall myself save them by saving my father’s life. My brother is very young. There is no doubt that he will soon perish after you have left this world. When my father has gone to heaven and my younger brother has perished, the funeral cakes offered to the ancestors will come to an end and that act will displease them. Having been abandoned by my father, my mother and my brother, I shall descend from misery to misery and will finally perish in great distress. There is no doubt that if you are healthy and can save yourself, my mother and my child brother, and our lineage, the practice of offering funeral cakes will continue. The son is one’s own self. The wife is one’s friend. The daughter is the cause of suffering. Save yourself from that cause of suffering. Set me on the path of dharma. O father! Without you, I will be an unprotected and wretched girl, going everywhere and whenever, always miserable. Therefore, I shall save my lineage and I shall acquire the merit that this difficult act brings. O best of the twice-born! If you abandon me and go there,8 I will be greatly oppressed. Therefore, be kind to me. O good father! Abandon me, who am to be abandoned eventually. Save yourself for my sake, for the sake of dharma and for the sake of your lineage. There should not be any delay in performing the inevitable. By offering them9 water, you will do that which is good. What can be more painful to us than you ascending to heaven and our roaming like dogs, begging food from others? But if you are saved from this calamity with your relatives10 and are healthy, I shall be very happy in the immortal world.” When they heard her piteous lamentations, all three, the father, the mother and the daughter, began to weep.
‘Then, on seeing all of them cry, their young son uttered these mumbling words, his eyes wide open. “O father! O mother! And you too, O sister! Do not cry.” Saying this, he smilingly came to each of them. Picking up a blade of
grass, he again said happily, “I will kill the man-eating rakshasa with this.” Though they were overcome with grief, hearing the mumbling words of the child, they were cheered up. Knowing that this was the right time, Kunti went to them and thus spoke, like ambrosia reviving the dead.’
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‘Kunti said, “I wish to learn exactly from you the reason for this grief. On learning it, I will remove the cause from you, if it can be removed.”
‘The Brahmana said, “O lady blessed with austerities! What you have said is worthy of righteous ones. But removal of this grief is beyond humans. Not far from this town lives a rakshasa named Baka. That immensely powerful one is the lord of this town and this country. That evil-minded maneater, chief among asuras, and with the power of rakshasas, rules over and protects this town, this country and this region, sustained through human flesh. Thus protected by him, we have no fear from any encirclement by enemies or any living beings. But his stipend has been fixed to a supply of food—a cartload of rice, two buffaloes and the human who takes these to him. One after another, all the people provide him with food. After intervals of many years, this difficult task comes to a particular man and it is impossible to escape. If men ever try to escape their turn, the rakshasa eats them up, with their wives and children.
‘“The king lives in a place known as Vetrakiyagriha. But he makes no efforts to free his subjects from this danger for good. We deserve all of this, because we live in continued harassment in the kingdom of a weak and incompetent king. Brahmanas are free to live, as they wish, on anyone’s land.11 They base themselves on their qualities and like birds freely go where they will. It is said that first one should find a king, then a wife, and then riches. By acquiring all three, one can maintain one’s relatives and one’s sons. But in acquiring these three, I have chosen the wrong order. Therefore, having fallen into this danger, I am suffering great grief. It is now my turn and it will destroy my family. I shall have to provide food and a man as stipend. I don’t have the riches to purchase a man. Nor am I able to give up someone who is dear to me. I do not see any means of saving myself from that rakshasa. I am immersed in this great ocean of grief from which no escape seems possible. Today, I will go to that rakshasa with my entire family, so that the evil one can eat all of us together.”’
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‘Kunti said, “Do not grieve because of this fear. I see a means through which you can escape from that rakshasa. You have an only son who is a child and an only daughter who is engaged in austerities. It does not seem right to me that they, you or your wife should go there. O Brahmana! I have five sons. One of them will go, taking on your behalf the offerings to that evil rakshasa.”
‘The Brahmana said, “In order to live, I can never do this. For the sake of saving my own life, I cannot cause the death of a Brahmana and a guest. Even those who are of low birth and sinful refuse to do this. One should sacrifice oneself and one’s children for the sake of a Brahmana. I consider this principle to be the best for me and I would like to follow it. Between the death of a Brahmana and my own, it seems to me that the latter is better. There is no salvation from the great sin of killing a Brahmana. Even if I do it without the right frame of mind, it is better for me to sacrifice myself. O fortunate lady! In sacrificing myself, I will not commit the crime of self-destruction, because there is no sin if someone else does the killing. But if I deliberately kill a Brahmana, I will commit a cruel and vile act, from which there is no means of atonement. The learned have said that the sacrifice of someone who has come to your house or has sought your protection or the killing of a supplicant are cruel and sinful deeds. Great-souled ones, learned in principles that should be followed at times of distress, have earlier said that one should never commit cruel deeds capable of censure. It is best for me that I should perish today with my wife, than that I should ever cause the killing of a Brahmana.”
‘Kunti said, “O Brahmana! It is also my firm view that Brahmanas must always be protected. If I had 100 sons, I would not love any one of them less. But this rakshasa will not be able to kill my son. My son is full of energy, valorous and has knowledge of the mantras. He will deliver all that food to the rakshasa, but it is my firm conviction that he will be able to save himself. Earlier, I have myself seen that powerful and gigantic rakshasas have fought with that brave one and have been killed, one after another. O Brahmana! But do not reveal this to anyone through any means. For people, curious and wishing to learn,12 will trouble my sons. The learned have said that if my son parts with this knowledge without the permission of his preceptor, the receiver will not gain from it.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘Hearing these words of Pritha,13 the Brahmana and his wife were very happy and agreed to her words, which were like ambrosia.14 Then, Kunti and the Brahmana went to Anila’s son15 and said, “Do this.” “So shall it be,” was his reply.’
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Vaishampayana said, ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Bhima said that he would do it before all the Pandavas returned there after collecting their alms.16 Looking at his17 appearance, Pandu’s son Yudhishthira guessed and sitting down with his mother, alone and privately, asked her, “What is the exploit that the immensely powerful Bhima wishes to undertake? Is it something he wishes to do on his own or is it something you have commanded?” Kunti replied, “On my instructions, the scorcher of enemies18 will perform this great task, for the sake of the Brahmana and in order to save this town.”
‘Yudhishthira said, “What have you done in your extreme rashness? This is a difficult task. The learned have certainly never praised the sacrifice of one’s own son. Why do you wish to sacrifice your own son for the sake of someone else’s? You have performed an act of abandoning your son. This is not approved by the worlds and by the Vedas. Through the strength of his arms all of us sleep in peace and hope to recover the kingdom that the evil ones have deprived us of. It is because of his infinite powers that Duryodhana, Shakuni and all the others spend sleepless nights of worry. Through his valour we escaped from the burning of the house of lac and other dangers when Purochana was killed. It is through dependence on his valour that we believe that we have already acquired this earth and its riches and have killed Dhritarashtra’s sons. What came to your mind that you deliberately decided to sacrifice him? Have you lost your senses and your intelligence because of the miseries?”
‘Kunti said, “O Yudhishthira! You need not lament over Vrikodara.19 I did not take my decision because of the weakness of my intelligence. O son! We have lived happily in the house of this Brahmana. O son! I wish to regard this as our compensation. A man is true to the extent he recognizes a good deed. Having witnessed Bhima’s valour in the house of lac and in the killing of Hidimba, I have great confidence in Vrikodara. The strength in Bhima’s arms is as much as that in 10,00020 elephants. It is because of this that he was able to carry us, as heavy as elephants, from Varanavata. There has been no one, nor will there be any one, as strong as Vrikodara. In battle, he is the equal of the best, the wielder of the vajra21 himself. Earlier, as soon as he was born, he fell from my lap on a mountain. Through the hardness of his body, he shattered the rock into pieces. O Pandava! From that day, I have known Bhima’s strength and, remembering it, I wished to repay the Brahmana. I have not done this from folly, delusion or desire for gain. I have consciously desired to perform this act because it is what dharma requires. O Yudhishthira! Two objectives will be attained in this way. We will repay the Brahmana for his lodging us and we will obtain great religious merit. I have heard that a Kshatriya who helps a Brahmana in any way obtains the fortunate worlds after death. A Kshatriya who saves the life of another Kshatriya obtains great fame in this world and the next. A Kshatriya who helps a Vaishya on this earth is certainly loved by the subjects in all the worlds. A king who frees a Shudra who comes to him for protection is reborn in a wealthy family in his next life and is revered by other kings. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! Earlier, the illustrious and extremely wise Lord Vyasa told me this. That is
why I want to act in this way.”
‘Yudhisthira said, “O mother! What you have intelligently decided to do, driven by compassion for the poor Brahmana, is indeed right. It is certain that Bhima will kill that maneater and return alive. But the Brahmana must carefully be told that he must restrain himself, so that the inhabitants of this town do not find out.”’
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Vaishampayana said, ‘Thereafter, when night had passed, Pandava Bhimasena took the food with him and left for the place where the maneater lived. Reaching the forest where the rakshasa lived, the immensely strong Pandava began to eat the food himself and called out to the rakshasa by name. Then, on hearing Bhimasena’s words, the rakshasa was greatly enraged and came to where Bhima was. His body was huge and his speed was swift, as if he was breaking up the ground. His forehead was furrowed into three lines and he bit his lips. On seeing Bhimasena eating the food, the rakshasa dilated his eyes and angrily said, “Who are you, stupid one, who dares to eat these offerings meant for me, that too in front of my own eyes? Do you wish to go to the land of the dead?” O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On hearing this, Bhimasena began to laugh. Ignoring the rakshasa, he turned his head away and continued to eat.
‘Uttering a terrible roar and raising both arms high, the maneater rushed at Bhimasena, with the intention of killing him. Even then, Pandava Vrikodara, the killer of enemy warriors, ignored the rakshasa. Casting only a glance, he went on eating. Greatly enraged, the rakshasa struck a mighty blow with both his hands on the back of Kunti’s son. Though Bhima was powerfully struck by those arms, he did not even look up, and continued to eat. Thereupon, the rakshasa became even more enraged. He uprooted a tree and powerfully dashed at Bhima, so as to strike him again. Bhima, bull among men and immensely strong, slowly finished eating all the food. He washed himself and then cheerfully stood up to fight. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The valorous Bhima laughingly caught the tree that had been angrily hurled in his left hand. Then that powerful one hurled many other trees at Bhimasena and the Pandava Bhima also hurled many at him. O great king! The terrible and great fight between Baka and the Pandava with trees went on, denuding the forest of its trees. Announcing his name, Baka dashed at the Pandava and grasped the immensely powerful Bhimasena in both his arms. Bhimasena also grasped the rakshasa in his great arms and began to violently drag the swift and strong one.22
Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) Page 40