“‘“The vulture said, ‘I am, ye men, a full thousand years of age today, but I have never seen a dead creature, male or female or of ambiguous sex, revive after death. Some die in the womb; some die soon after birth; some die (in infancy) while crawling (on all fours); some die in youth; and some in old age. The fortunes of all creatures, including even beasts and birds, are unstable. The periods of life of all mobile and immobile creatures are fixed beforehand. Bereaved of spouses and dear ones and filled with sorrow for (the death of) children, men leave this spot every day with agonised hearts for returning home. Leaving on this spot both friends and foes numbering by thousands, kinsmen afflicted with grief go back to their homes. Cast off this lifeless body with no longer any animal heat in it and which is as stiff as a piece of wood! Why then do you not go away, leaving the body of this child which has become like a piece of wood and whose life has entered a new body? This affection (which ye are displaying) is unmeaning and this hugging of the child is fruitless. He does not see with his eyes or hear with his ears. Leaving him here, go ye away without delay. Thus addressed by me in words which are apparently cruel but which in reality are fraught with reason and have a direct bearing with the high religion of emancipation, go ye back to your respective homes.’ Addressed thus by the vulture endued with wisdom and knowledge and capable of imparting intelligence and awakening the understanding, those men prepared themselves to turn their backs upon the crematorium. Grief, indeed, increaseth to twice its measure at sight of its object and at the remembrance of the acts of that object (in life). Having heard these words of the vulture, the men resolved to leave the spot. Just at that time the jackal, coming thither with quick steps, cast his eyes on the child lying in the sleep of death.
“‘“The jackal said, ‘Why, indeed, do you leave, at the vulture’s bidding, this child of golden complexion, adorned with ornaments, and capable of giving the obsequial cake to his ancestors? If you abandon him, your affection will not come to an end, nor these piteous lamentations. On the other hand, your grief will certainly be greater. It is heard that a Sudra named Samvuka having been slain and righteousness having been upheld by Rama of true prowess, a (dead) Brahmana child was restored to life.451 Similarly, the son of the royal sage Sweta died (prematurely). But the monarch, devoted to virtue, succeeded in reviving his dead child. After the same manner, in your case also, some sage or deity may be willing to grant your desire and show compassion to you that are crying so piteously.’ Thus addressed by the jackal, the men, afflicted with grief and full of affection for the child, retraced their steps, and placing the child’s head on their laps one after another, began to indulge in copious lamentations. Summoned by their cries, the vulture, coming to that spot, spoke unto them as follows.’
“‘“The vulture said, ‘Why are you bathing this child with your tears? Why are you pressing him in this fashion with the touch of your palms? At the command of the grim king of justice the child has been sent to that sleep which knows no waking. Those that are endued with the merit of penances, those that are possessed of wealth, those that have great intelligence, in fact, all succumb to death. Even this is the place intended for the dead. It is always to be seen that kinsmen casting off thousands of kinsmen young and old, pass their nights and days in grief, rolling on the bare ground. Cease this ardour in putting on the trappings of woe. That this child would come back to life is what passes belief. He will not get back his life at the bidding of the jackal. If a person once dies and takes leave of his body, his body never regains animation. Hundreds of jackals, by laying down their own lives,452 will not succeed in reviving this child in hundreds of years. If, however, Rudra, or Kumara, or Brahman, or Vishnu, grant him a boon, then only may this child come back to life. Neither the shedding of tears, nor the drawing of long sighs, nor copious lamentations, will bring back this one to life. Myself, the jackal, you all, and all the kinsmen of this one, with all our merits and sins, are on the same road (that this one has taken). For this reason one possessed of wisdom should, from a distance, avoid behaviour that displeases others, harsh speeches, the infliction of injury on others, the enjoyment of other people’s wives, and sin and falsehood. Carefully seek righteousness, truth, the good of others, justice, compassion for all creatures, sincerity, and honesty. They incur sin who, while living, do not cast their eyes upon their mothers and fathers and kinsmen and friends. What will you do, by crying for him after death, that sees not with his eyes and that stirs not in the least?’ Thus addressed, the men, overwhelmed with sorrow and burning with grief on account of their affection for the child, departed for their homes, leaving the body (on the crematorium).
“‘“The jackal said, ‘Alas, terrible is the world of mortals! Here no creature can escape. Every creature’s period of life, again, is short. Beloved friends are always departing. It abounds with vanities and falsehoods, with accusations and evil reports. Beholding again this incident that enhances pain and grief, I do not for a moment like this world of men. Alas, fie on you, ye men, that thus turn back, like foolish persons, at the vulture’s bidding, though you are burning with grief on account of the death of this child. Ye cruel wights, how can you go away, casting off parental affection upon hearing the words of a sinful vulture of uncleansed soul? Happiness is followed by misery, and misery by happiness. In this world which is enveloped by both happiness and misery, none of these two exists uninterruptedly. Ye men of little understanding, whither would ye go, casting off on the bare ground this child of so much beauty, this son that is an ornament of your race. Verily, I cannot dispel the idea from my mind that this child endued with comeliness and youth and blazing with beauty is alive. It is not meet that he should die.453 It seems that ye are sure to obtain happiness. Ye that are afflicted with grief on account of the death of this child will surely have good luck today. Anticipating the probability of inconvenience and pain (if you remain here for the night) and fixing your hearts on your own comfort, whither would you, like persons of little intelligence, go, leaving this darling?’”
“‘Bhishma continued, “Even thus, O king, the kinsmen of the deceased child, unable to decide upon what they should do, were, for accomplishment of his own purpose, induced by that sinful jackal who uttered agreeable falsehoods, that denizen of the crematorium who wandered every night in quest of food, to stay in that place.
“‘“The vulture said, ‘Dreadful is this spot, this wilderness, that resounds with the screech of owls and teems with spirits and Yakshas and Rakshasas. Terrible and awful, its aspect is like that of a mass of blue clouds. Casting off the dead body, finish the funeral rites. Indeed, throwing away the body, accomplish those rites before the sun sets and before the points of the horizon become enveloped in gloom. The hawks are uttering their harsh cries. Jackals are howling fiercely. Lions are roaring. The sun is setting. The trees on the crematorium are assuming a dark hue in consequence of the blue smoke of the funeral pyres. The carnivorous denizens of this place, afflicted with hunger, are yelling in rage. All those creatures of horrible forms that live in this frightful place, all those carnivorous animals of grim features that haunt this desert, will soon assail you. This wilderness is certainly frightful. Danger will overtake you. Indeed, if you listen to these false and fruitless words of the jackal against your own good sense, verily, all of you are sure to be destroyed.’
“‘“The jackal said, ‘Stay where you are! There is no fear even in this desert as long as the sun shines. Till the god of day sets, do ye remain here hopefully, induced by parental affection. Without any fear, indulging in lamentations as ye please, continue to look at this child with eyes of affection. Frightful though this wilderness be, no danger will overtake you. In reality this wilderness presents an aspect of quiet and peace. It is here that the Pitris by thousands took leave of the world. Wait as long as the sun shines. What are this vulture’s words to you? If with stupefied understandings ye accept the cruel and harsh speeches of the vulture, then your child will never come back to life!’”
> “‘Bhishma continued, “The vulture then addressed those men, saying that the sun had set. The jackal said that it was not so. Both the vulture and the jackal felt the pangs of hunger and thus addressed the kinsmen of the dead child. Both of them had girded up their loins for accomplishing their respective purposes. Exhausted with hunger and thirst, they thus disputed, having recourse to the scriptures. Moved (alternately) by these words, sweet as nectar, of those two creatures, viz., the bird and the beast, both of whom were endued with the wisdom of knowledge, the kinsmen at one time wished to go away and at another to stay there. At last, moved by grief and cheerlessness, they waited there, indulging in bitter lamentations. They did not know that the beast and the bird, skilled in accomplishing their own purposes, had only stupefied them (by their addresses). While the bird and the beast, both possessed of wisdom, were thus disputing and while the kinsmen of the deceased child sat listening to them, the great god Sankara, urged by his divine spouse (Uma), came there with eyes bathed in tears of compassion. Addressing the kinsmen of the deceased child, the god said, ‘I am Sankara the giver of boons.’ With hearts heavy with grief, those men prostrated themselves before the great deity and said unto him in reply, ‘Bereft of this one who was our only child, all of us are at the point of death. It behoveth thee to grant us life by granting life to this our son.’ Thus solicited, the illustrious deity, taking up a quantity of water in his hands granted unto that dead child life extending for a hundred years. Ever employed in the good of all creatures, the illustrious wielder of Pinaka granted a boon unto both the jackal and the vulture in consequence of which their hunger was appeased. Filled with delight and having achieved great prosperity, the men bowed unto the god. Crowned with success, they then, O king, left that spot in great joy. Through persistent hopefulness and firm resolution and the grace of the great god, the fruits of one’s acts are obtained without delay. Behold, the combination of circumstances and the resolution of those kinsmen. While they were crying with agonised hearts, their tears were wiped and dried up. Behold, how within only a short time, through their steadiness of resolution, they obtained the grace of Sankara, and their afflictions dispelled, they were made happy. Indeed, through Sankara’s grace, O chief of the Bharatas, those sorrowing kinsmen were filled with amazement and delight at the restoration of their child to life. Then, O king, casting off that grief of which their child had been the cause, those Brahmanas, filled with delight, quickly went back to their town taking the restored child with them. Behaviour like this has been laid down for all the four orders. By frequently listening to this auspicious story fraught with virtue, profit, and salvation, a man obtains happiness both here and hereafter.”’“
SECTION CLIV
“‘YUDHISHTHIRA SAID, “IF a person, weak, worthless, and light-hearted, O grandsire, doth from folly provoke, by means of unbecoming and boastful speeches, a powerful foe always residing in his vicinity, competent to do good (when pleased) and chastise (when displeased), and always ready for action, how should the former, relying on his own strength, act when the latter advances against him in anger and from desire of exterminating him?”
“‘Bhishma said, “In this connection is cited, O chief of the Bharatas, the old story of the discourse between Salmali and Pavana. There was a lordly (Salmali) tree on one of the heights of Himavat. Having grown for many centuries, he had spread out his branches wide around. His trunk also was huge and his twigs and leaves were innumerable. Under his shade toil-worn elephants in rut, bathed in sweat, used to rest, and many animals of other species also. The girth of his trunk was four hundred cubits, and dense was the shade of his branches and leaves. Loaded with flowers and fruits, it was the abode of innumerable parrots, male and female. In travelling along their routes, caravans of merchants and traders, and ascetics, residing in the woods, used to rest under the shade of that delightful monarch of the forest. One day, the sage Narada, O bull of Bharata’s race, seeing the wide-extending and innumerable branches of that tree and the circumference of his trunk, approached and addressed him, saying, ‘O thou art delightful! O thou art charming! O foremost of trees, O Salmali, I am always delighted at thy sight! O charming tree, delightful birds of diverse kinds, and elephants and other animals, cheerfully live on thy branches and under their shade. Thy branches, O wide-branched monarch of the forest, and thy trunk are gigantic. I never see any of them broken by the god of the wind. Is it, O child, the case that Pavana is pleased with thee and is thy friend so that he protects thee always in these woods? The illustrious Pavana possessed of great speed and force moveth from their sites the tallest and strongest trees, and even mountain summits. That sacred bearer of perfumes, blowing (when he wills) drieth up rivers and lakes and seas, including the very nether region. Without doubt, Pavana protects thee through friendship. It is for this reason that, though possessed of innumerable branches, thou art still graced with leaves and flowers. O monarch of the forest, this thy verdure is delightful since these winged creatures, O child, filled with joy, sport on thy twigs and branches. During the season when thou puttest forth thy blossoms, the sweet notes of all these denizens of thy branches are heard separately when they indulge in their melodious songs. Then, again, O Salmali, these elephants that are the ornaments of their species, bathed in sweat and indulging in cries (of delight), approach thee and find happiness here. Similarly, diverse other species of animals inhabiting the woods, contribute to adorn thee. Indeed, O tree, thou lookest beautiful even like the mountains of Meru peopled by creatures of every kind. Resorted to also by Brahmanas crowned with ascetic success, by others engaged in penances, and by Yatis devoted to contemplation,454 this thy region, I think, resembles heaven itself.’”’
SECTION CLV
“‘“NARADA SAID, ‘WITHOUT doubt, O Salmali, the terrible and irresistible god of the wind always protects thee from friendliness or amity. It seems, O Salmali, that a close intimacy has come to subsist between thee and the Wind. It seems thou hast said unto him these words, viz., “I am thine,” and it is for this reason that the Wind-god protects thee. I do not see the tree or mountain or mansion in this world that may not, I think, be broken by the Wind. Without doubt thou standest here with all thy branches and twigs and leaves, simply because, O Salmali, thou art protected by the Wind for some reason or reasons (unknown to us).’
“‘“The Salmali said, ‘The Wind, O regenerate one, is neither my friend nor mate nor well-wisher. Indeed, he is neither my great Ordainer that he should protect me. My fierce energy and might, O Narada, are greater than the Wind’s. In truth, the strength of the Wind comes up to about only an eighteenth part of mine. When the Wind comes in rage, tearing up trees and mountains and other things, I curb his strength by putting forth mine. Indeed, the Wind that breaks many things has himself been repeatedly broken by me. For this reason, O Celestial Rishi, I am not afraid of him even when he comes in wrath.’
“‘“Narada said, ‘O Salmali, thy protection seems to be thoroughly perverse. There is no doubt in this. There is no created thing which is equal to the Wind in strength. Even Indra, or Yama, or Vaisravana, the lord of the waters, is not equal to the god of the wind in might. What need, therefore, be said of thee that art only a tree? Whatever creature in this world, O Salmali, does whatever act, the illustrious Wind-god it is that is at all times the cause of that act, since it is he that is the giver of life. When that god exerts himself with propriety, he makes all living creatures live at their ease. When, however, he exerts improperly, calamities overtake the creatures of the world. What else can it be than weakness of understanding which induces thee to thus withhold thy worship from the god of wind, that foremost of creatures in the universe, that being deserving of worship? Thou art worthless and of a wicked understanding. Indeed, thou indulgest only in unmeaning brag. Thy intelligence being confounded by wrath and other evil passions, thou speakest only untruths, O Salmali! I am certainly angry with thee for thy indulging in such speeches. I shall myself report to the god of the wind all these dero
gatory words of thine. Chandanas, and Syandanas, and Salas, and Saralas and Devadarus and Vetavas and Dhanwanas and other trees of good souls that are far stronger than thou art, have never, O thou of wicked understanding, uttered such invectives against the Wind. All of them know the might of the Wind as also the might that is possessed by each of them. For these reasons those foremost of trees bow down their heads in respect to that deity. Thou, however, through folly, knowest not the infinite might of the Wind. I shall, therefore, repair to the presence of that god (for apprising him of thy contempt for him).’”’“
SECTION CLVI
“‘BHISHMA CONTINUED, “HAVING said these words unto the Salmali, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, viz., Narada, represented unto the god of the wind all that the Salmali had said about him.
“‘“Narada said, ‘There is a certain Salmali on the breast of Himavat, adorned with branches and leaves. His roots extend deep into the earth and his branches spread wide around. That tree, O god of the wind disregards thee. He spoke many words fraught with abuse of thyself. It is not proper, O Wind, that I should repeat them in thy hearing. I know, O Wind, that thou art the foremost of all created things. I know too that thou art a very superior and very mighty being, and that in wrath thou resemblest the Destroyer himself.’”
“‘Bhishma continued, “Hearing these words of Narada, the god of wind, wending to that Salmali, addressed him in rage and said as follows.
“‘“The Wind-god said, ‘O Salmali, thou hast spoken in derogation of me before Narada. Know that I am the god of the wind. I shall certainly show thee my power and might. I know thee well. Thou art no stranger to me. The puissant Grandsire, while engaged in creating the world, had for a time rested under thee. It is in consequence of this incident that I have hitherto shown thee grace. O worst of trees, it is for this that thou standest unharmed, and not in consequence of thy own might. Thou regardest me lightly as if I were a vulgar thing. I shall show myself unto thee in such a way that thou mayst not again disregard me.’”
The Sanskrit Epics Page 682