Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts)

by Debroy, Bibek

  ‘Speaking about many subjects, he again said, “A great-souled rishi lived in a hermitage. He had a daughter who was slender of waist and wide of hips. Her eyebrows were beautiful and she had all the qualities. Because of her earlier deeds,30 she was unfortunate. Despite being beautiful and pure, that girl did not get a husband. With sorrow in her heart, she then began to perform austerities so as to obtain a husband. She satisfied Shankara with her severe austerities. Gratified, the illustrious lord spoke to the ascetic lady. “O fortunate one! O beautiful one! Ask for a boon and I shall give it to you.” Desirous of ensuring her own welfare, she repeatedly told the supreme god, “I want a husband with all the qualities.” Then the eloquent Ishana31 Shankara told her, “O fortunate one! You will have five husbands.” Thus addressed, she told Shankara, “Give me only one husband.” The god addressed her again in these excellent words, “You have repeatedly asked me for a husband five times. Therefore, when you are reborn in another body, it shall be as I have just said.” That daughter of divine form was born in Drupada’s family, as the unblemished Krishna Parshati and is destined to be your wife. O mighty ones! Go to the city of Panchala. There is no doubt that you will be happy in obtaining her as your wife.” Having told the Pandavas this, the greatly fortunate grandfather,32 the great ascetic, bid his farewell to Kunti and Pritha’s sons and left.’

  158

  Vaishampayana said, ‘Placing their mother ahead of them, those bulls among men, the scorchers of enemies, set out over smooth roads towards the north, as they had been directed. They walked day and night and reached the pilgrimage of Somashravayana. Pandu’s sons, those tigers among men, reached the Ganga. The immensely famous Dhananjaya33 walked in front, with a torch in his hand to show the way and protect them.

  ‘In the beautiful waters of the Ganga, the jealous king of the gandharvas was sporting with his wives. He heard the sound34 as they approached the river. That strong one was inflamed with rage at the sound. Seeing the Pandavas, the scorchers of enemies, and their mother, he drew his terrible bow and uttered these words. “It is known that except for the first eighty instants,35 when terrible dusk colours and night is about to descend, the rest36 is set aside for yakshas, gandharvas, rakshasas and others who can travel wherever at will. For the rest of the time, it is said that humans can travel at will. Therefore, if at those times, men wander around out of greed, we and the rakshasas attack and kill those stupid ones. Those who are learned in the Vedas disapprove of those men, even if they are kings with their armies, who come near the water in the night. Stay at a distance and do not come near me. Do you not know that I am bathing in the waters of the Bhagirathi? Know me to be the gandharva named Angaraparna. I rely on my own strength. I am proud and jealous and I am Kubera’s beloved friend. This is my beautiful forest on the banks of the Ganga, known as Angaraparna. I dwell here. No corpses,37 horned animals, gods or humans dare to set foot here. How dare you come?”

  ‘Arjuna said, “O evil-minded one! Whether it is night or day or twilight, how can the ocean, the Himalayas or this river be barred to anyone? We are endowed with strength. We do not care even if we disturb you at the wrong time. It is only weak men who worship you in this cruel hour. Issuing from the golden peaks of the Himalayas, this Ganga descends into the ocean in seven streams. O gandharva! This holy Ganga, flowing through the celestial regions, is known there as Alakananda. In the region of the ancestors, it is known as Vaitarani and cannot be crossed by those who commit sins. Krishna Dvaipayana has said that this divine and pure river, which can take one to heaven, is accessible to everyone. How can you bar us access? That is not in accordance with eternal dharma. Because of your words, why should we not touch, as we will, the sacred waters of the Bhagirathi, accessible to everyone?”’

  Vaishampayana said, ‘Hearing these words, Angaraparna became very angry. He drew his bow and shot flaming arrows that were like extremely venomous snakes. With the torch in his hand, Pandava Dhananjaya warded off the arrows with his excellent shield. Arjuna said, “O gandharva! Don’t try to frighten those who are skilled in the use of weapons, because weapons unleashed at them disappear like froth. O gandharva! I know that gandharvas are superior to men. Therefore, I will fight you with divine weapons, not with the use of maya. In ancient times, this agneya missile was given by Brihaspati, Shatakratu’s38 preceptor, to Bharadvaja. From Bharadvaja it went to Agniveshya and from Agniveshya to my preceptor. Drona, supreme among Brahmanas, gave it to me.” Having said this, the angry Pandava unleashed the blazing agneya weapon at the gandharva and it instantly burnt down his chariot. Knocked unconscious from the energy of the missile, the immensely powerful gandharva fell face down, dislodged from his chariot. Dhananjaya seized him by the hair on his head, which was adorned with garlands, and dragged the one knocked unconscious from the missile towards his brothers. On seeing this, his wife, who was named Kumbhinasi, sought refuge with Yudhishthira so that her husband might be saved.

  ‘The gandharva woman said, “O great king! Save me and set my husband free. O lord! The gandharvi Kumbhinasi seeks your protection.” Yudhishthira said, “O destroyer of enemies! Which hero will kill an enemy who has been defeated in battle, has lost his fame and is now protected by a woman? Set him free.” Arjuna said, “O gandharva! Have your life. Go from here and do not grieve. Yudhishthira, king of the Kurus,39 has ordered safety for you today.”

  ‘The gandharva said, “I have been defeated by you. Therefore, I will give up my earlier name of Angaraparna. Among men, I can no longer show my pride in strength or in name. I wanted to fight, with the powers of maya of the gandharvas, with someone who was at the peak of his youth. It is my good fortune that I encountered one with celestial weapons. My supreme and adorned chariot has been burnt by the agneya weapon. I was earlier called Chitraratha40 and have now become Dagdharatha.41 I spoke to you about the knowledge that I earlier attained through austerities. Today, I will give it to the great-souled one who has granted me life. He who saves the life of a vanquished enemy who seeks sanctuary deserves good fortune. This knowledge is called chakshushi.42 It was given by Manu to Soma and Soma gave it to Vishvavasu. Vishvavasu gave it to me.

  ‘“When the preceptor gives the knowledge to a coward, it is destroyed. I have spoken to you about its origin and transmission. Now learn from me its power. Whatever you wish to see through your eyes in all the three worlds will be seen by you, exactly as you wish. One can acquire this knowledge by standing on one leg for six months. I have given word that I will myself bestow this knowledge on you. O king! It is because of this knowledge that we are superior to men. Because we have the power of seeing everything, we are the equals of the gods. O best of men! I wish to give each of you five brothers, separately, 100 horses from the land of the gandharvas. They are divinely scented and possess the speed of the mind. They are used to transport the gods and the gandharvas. However tired they are, they never lose their speed. In ancient times, the great Indra created the vajra to kill Vritra. But it shattered into a thousand pieces when flung on Vritra’s head. Since then, the gods divided the vajra pieces among themselves and worshipped them. Whatever is known as wealth in this world is but a piece of that vajra. The hands of Brahmanas are the vajra. The chariots of Kshatriyas are the vajra. The alms of the Vaishyas are the vajra. The servitude of the Shudras43 is the vajra. The horses of the Kshatriyas are the vajra and it is said that they should never be killed. The horses that draw chariots are the offspring of vadava.44 One who drives horses is called a suta. These45 can assume any colour at will, can assume any speed at will and can go anywhere at will. These horses from the gandharva region will always fulfil any desire.”

  ‘Arjuna said, “O gandharva! I have no desire to accept the knowledge or the riches if you are giving them to me out of satisfaction at my having saved your life.”

  ‘The gandharva said, “An encounter with a great person is always a matter of satisfaction. In addition to that, you have given me my life. Being pleased with you, I am giving you the knowledge. O
bull among the Bharata lineage! O Bibhatsu!46 In return, to make it equal, I shall take from you the supreme agneya weapon,47 so that our friendship is eternal.”

  Arjuna said, “O gandharva! I shall accept your horses in return for my weapon. Let our friendship be eternal. O friend! Tell me how we can be free from the danger from your race.”’

  159

  ‘Arjuna said, “O gandharva! We are the chastisers of enemies. We are learned in the Vedas. We are all virtuous. Yet, why did you abuse us when we were travelling in the night?”

  ‘The gandharva said, “O son of Pandu! You do not keep the fire.48 You do not make sacrificial offerings. You do not have Brahmanas walking ahead of you. That is the reason you were abused by me. The yakshas, the rakshasas, the gandharvas, the pishachas, the uragas and men speak in detail about the prosperity of the Kuru dynasty. O brave one! I have heard Narada and other devarshis speak of the qualities and wisdom of your ancestors. When I myself roamed this rich earth that has this ocean as a garment, I saw the influence of your dynasty. O Arjuna! I personally know your preceptor in knowledge of the Vedas and the science of weapons, Bharadvaja’s famous son. He is revered in the three worlds. O Partha! O tiger among the Kurus! I also know Dharma, Vayu, Shakra,49 the Ashvins and Pandu, the six who extended this lineage. These best of gods and men are your ancestors. I know that all you brothers are divine-minded, great-souled, supreme among those who wield arms, excellent in observance of vows, supreme in mind and intelligence and perfect in character. O Partha! Nevertheless, I abused you. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! No man who has the strength of his arms can patiently tolerate abuse before his wife’s eyes. O son of Kunti! Especially at night, our strength increases. Since I was with my wife, I was filled with anger.

  ‘“O extender of Tapati’s lineage! I was defeated by you in battle. Hear from me the reason why I suffered. O Partha! Brahmacharya is the supreme dharma and you are established in that. That is the reason you defeated me in the battle. O chastiser of enemies! If any Kshatriya, driven by desire, wishes to fight with us in the night, he can never escape alive. O descendant of Tapati’s lineage! However, a king, driven by desire, can vanquish all the wanderers of the night in battle if he is led by a priest. O descendant of Tapati’s lineage! Therefore, men should always employ priests who are learned and self-controlled in all acts that are desired. He who is learned in the six Vedangas, and is always pure, truthful, devoted to dharma and self-controlled, is fit to be a priest for kings. A king who has a priest who is learned in the precepts of dharma, eloquent, well behaved and pure ahead of him is always victorious and is assured of heaven afterwards. A king must always choose a priest who has all the qualities, who can protect what he possesses and acquire that which he does not. A king should always be guided by his priest to acquire the entire earth, from Mount Meru to where the ocean is the garment. O descendant of Tapati’s lineage! A king who is without a Brahmana can never acquire any land through his bravery or high birth alone. O extender of the Kuru lineage! Therefore, know that kingdoms with Brahmanas at their head can be sustained eternally.”’

  160

  ‘Arjuna said, “You have addressed me as the descendant of Tapati. Therefore, I wish to know what that precisely means. O blessed one! We are the sons of Kunti and are known as Kounteya. Who is Tapati and why are we called Tapatya?50 I wish to know.”’

  Vaishampayana said, ‘Having been thus addressed by Kunti’s son Dhananjaya, the gandharva recounted the story that is famous in the three worlds.

  ‘The gandharva said, “O Partha! O chief among those who follow dharma! I will tell you this virtuous and wonderful story exactly as it happened. Listen attentively to what I have to say and you will understand the reason why I have called you Tapatya. He who pervades the entire firmament51 with his energy had a daughter named Tapati who was equal to him. Tapati was born to Vivasvat52 after Savitri and was famous in the three worlds because of her austerities. There was no one equal to her in beauty among the gods, the asuras, the yakshas, the rakshasas, the apsaras and the gandharvas. She was symmetrical in form and unblemished in features. She had large and black eyes. She was dressed in beautiful garments. She was pure in conduct. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On seeing her, Vivasvat thought that no one in the three worlds possessed beauty, conduct, learning and qualities equal to her so as to be her husband. On seeing that his daughter had grown and attained the age of marriage, he had no peace of mind, thinking about whom to give her to.

  ‘“O Kounteya! The mighty King Samvarana, the son of Riksha and a bull among the Kurus, always used to worship the sun, with offerings and garlands, observing fasts and rituals and practising various austerities. Puru’s descendant worshipped Anshuman53 when he arose, with devotion, obedience, selflessness and purity. On seeing that Samvarana was learned in the path of dharma and was unparalleled on earth for his handsomeness, Surya decided that he was the best husband for Tapati. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! Surya desired to give his daughter to that supreme king, whose lineage was famous. Just as the blazing rays of the sun suffuse the sky with radiance, King Samvarana filled the earth with his splendour. O Partha! Just as those who know the brahman worship the rising sun, all subjects other than Brahmanas worshipped Samvarana. The fortunate king surpassed the moon in benevolence towards those who wished him well and the sun in scorching those who wished him ill. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! Tapan54 himself decided that Tapati should be given to a king who had such great virtue and qualities.

  ‘“O Partha! It is told that once the king, blessed with such great good fortune and immensely famous on earth, went out to hunt in the woods on the slopes of a mountain. O son of Kunti! When he was hunting, his unequalled horse, overcome with hunger and thirst, died on that mountain. O Partha! Abandoning the dead horse, the king walked on that mountain on foot and saw a lady who had large eyes and was unrivalled in the worlds in beauty. That scorcher of enemies, a tiger among kings, was alone. That lady was also alone. He stood motionless and stared at her with an unwavering gaze. From her beauty, the king thought that she might be the goddess Shri.55 He again thought that her beauty was the manifestation of the sun’s rays on earth. The black-eyed lady stood on the mountain slope, with its trees and creepers, like a statue of gold. Having seen her, the king became contemptuous of all other beings and considered that his eyes had now accomplished their purpose. The king thought that nothing that he had seen from the date of his birth could rival her beauty. He thought that the creator had created the beauty of this large-eyed lady after churning the worlds of gods, asuras and men. The king’s heart and mind were tied up in the noose of her perfection. Deprived of his senses, he was rooted to the spot. Thus, King Samvarana then decided that the lady’s richness of beauty was unmatched in the three worlds.

  ‘“As soon as he had seen that fortunate one, the king of noble lineage was pierced by the arrows of the god of love and began to worry. Burning with the fierce fire of desire, he spoke to the illustrious lady, who was an adult, but was still innocent, ‘O lady with thighs like that of a plantain tree!56 Who are you? Who do you belong to? Why have you come here? O lady with the beautiful smile! Why are you wandering alone in this lonely forest? You are unblemished in every limb and adorned in every ornament. You are like a coveted ornament to those ornaments themselves. You don’t seem to be a goddess or an asuri, or a yakshi or a rakshasi, or a nagini or a gandharvi, or a human. O supreme among beautiful ones! None of the beautiful women I have seen, or heard of, can match you.’ Thus, struck by desire, did the ruler of the earth then speak to her in the lonely forest.

  ‘“But she did not utter a word in reply. When the king kept asking, the large-eyed lady vanished like a flash of lightning. Like one who had lost his senses, the king wandered around in the forest, looking for the lady with eyes like a lotus. Having failed to find her, that best of the Kuru lineage lamented a lot and for a long time remained motionless in grief.”’

  161

  ‘The gandharva said,
“When she disappeared, the king, the one who caused the downfall of enemy armies, was struck by desire and fell down on the ground. On his falling down on the ground, the one with the beautiful smile and swelling and rounded hips appeared once again before the king. In a gentle voice, the fortunate beauty then spoke to the king, the extender of the Kuru lineage who had lost his senses because of desire, ‘O tiger among kings! O fortunate one! O scorcher of enemies! You are known in the world. You should not be seen in loss of your senses. Arise! Arise!’ Having heard these sweet words, the king looked up and saw standing before him the lady with the wide hips.

  ‘“The ruler of men then addressed the black-eyed one in these words, his heart burning with the fire of desire and his words weak with emotion, ‘O black-eyed lady! O fortunate one! I am burning with desire. O lady with the large eyes! I am seeking you. Accept me in return, because my life is ebbing away because of you. O you whose complexion is like the inside of a lotus! Love’s sharp arrows never stop piercing me. O fortunate one! The god of love has bitten me like a large snake. O one with the unblemished face! O one with the tapering thighs! O one with a voice like the song of the kinnaras! My life is in your hands. O one with unblemished and beautiful limbs! O one with a face like a lotus or the moon! O bashful one! I shall certainly not be able to live without you. O lady with the large eyes! O black-eyed one! You should not forsake me. O beautiful one! You must save me with your affection. O beautiful and timid one! O one with thighs like a plantain tree! Marry me according to the gandharva rites, because among all forms of marriage, the gandharva is said to be the best.’