SECTION 104
(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Bhishma continued, 'In olden days, Rama, the son of
Jamadagni, in anger at the death of his father, slew with his battle axe the
king of the Haihayas. And Rama, by cutting off the thousand arms of Arjuna (the
Haihaya king), achieved a most difficult feat in the world. Not content with
this, he set out on his chariot for the conquest of the world, and taking up
his bow he cast around his mighty weapons to exterminate the Kshatriyas. And
the illustrious scion of Bhrigu's race, by means of his swift arrows
annihilated the Kshatriya tribe one and twenty times.
"And when the earth was thus deprived of Kshatriyas by the
great Rishi, the Kshatriya ladies all over the land had offspring raised by
Brahmanas skilled in the Vedas. It has been said in the Vedas that the sons so raised
belongeth to him that had married the mother. And the Kshatriya ladies went in
unto the Brahamanas not lustfully but from motives of virtue. Indeed, it was
thus that the Kshatriya race was revived.
"In this connection there is another old history that I will recite
to you. There was in olden days a wise Rishi of the name of Utathya. He had a
wife of the name Mamata whom he dearly loved. One day Utathya's younger brother
Brihaspati, the priest of the celestials, endued with great energy, approached
Mamata. The latter, however, told her husband's younger brother--that foremost
of eloquent men--that she had conceived from her connection with his elder
brother and that, therefore, he should not then seek for the consummation of
his wishes. She continued, 'O illustrious Brihaspati , the child that I have
conceived hath studied in his mother's womb the Vedas with the six Angas, Semen
tuum frustra perdi non potest. How can then this womb of mine afford room for
two children at a time? Therefore, it behoveth thee not to seek for the
consummation of thy desire at such a time. Thus addressed by her, Brihaspati ,
though possessed of great wisdom, succeeded not in suppressing his desire. Quum
auten jam cum illa coiturus esset, the child in the womb then addressed him and
said, 'O father, cease from thy attempt. There is no space here for two. The
room is small. I have occupied it first. Semen tuum perdi non potest. It
behoveth thee not to afflict me.' But Brihaspati without listening to what that
child in the womb said, sought the embraces of Mamata possessing the most
beautiful pair of eyes. Ille tamen Muni qui in venture erat punctum temporis
quo humor vitalis jam emissum iret providens, viam per quam semen intrare
posset pedibus obstruxit. Semen ita exhisum, excidit et in terram projectumest.
And the illustrious Brihaspati, beholding this, became indignant, and
reproached Utathya's child and cursed him, saying, 'Because thou hast spoken to
me in the way thou hast at a time of pleasure that is sought after by all creatures,
perpetual darkness shall overtake thee.' And from this curse of the illustrious
Brishaspati Utathya's child who was equal unto Brihaspati in energy, was born
blind and came to be called Dirghatamas (enveloped in perpetual darkness). And
the wise Dirghatamas, possessed of a knowledge of the Vedas, though born blind,
succeeded yet by virtue of his learning, in obtaining for a wife a young and
handsome Brahmana maiden of the name of Pradweshi. And having married her, the
illustrious Dirghatamas, for the expansion of Utathya's race, begat upon her
several children with Gautama as their eldest. These children, however, were
all given to covetousness and folly. The virtuous and illustrious Dirghatamas possessing
complete mastery over the Vedas, soon after learnt from Surabhi's son the
practices of their order and fearlessly betook himself to those practices,
regarding them with reverence. (For shame is the creature of sin and can never
be where there is purity of intention). Then those best of Munis that dwelt in
the same asylum, beholding him transgress the limits of propriety became
indignant, seeing sin where sin was not. And they said, 'O, this man,
transgresseth the limit of propriety. No longer doth he deserve a place amongst
us. Therefore, shall we all cast this sinful wretch off.' And they said many
other things regarding the Muni Dirghatamas. And his wife, too, having obtained
children, became indignant with him.
"The husband then addressing his wife Pradweshi, said, 'Why
is it that thou also hast been dissatisfied with me?' His wife answered, 'The husband
is called the Bhartri because he supporteth the wife. He is called Pati because
he protecteth her. But thou art neither, to me! On the other hand, thou hast
been blind from birth, it is I who have supported thee and thy children. I
shall not do so in future.'
"Hearing these words of his wife, the Rishi became indignant
and said unto her and her children, 'Take me unto the Kshatriyas and thou shalt
then be rich.' His wife replied (by saying), 'I desire not wealth that may be
procured by thee, for that can never bring me happiness. Do as thou likest. I
shall not be able to maintain thee as before.' At these words of his wife,
Dirghatamas said, 'I lay down from this day as a rule that every woman shall
have to adhere to one husband for her life. Be the husband dead or alive, it
shall not be lawful for a woman to have connection with another. And she who
may have such connection shall certainly be regarded as fallen. A woman without
husband shall always be liable to be sinful. And even if she be wealthy she
shall not be able to enjoy that wealth truly. Calumny and evil report shall ever
dog her.' Hearing these words of her husband Pradweshi became very angry, and
commanded her sons, saying, 'Throw him into the waters of Ganga!' And at the
command of their mother, the wicked Gautama and his brothers, those slaves of
covetousness and folly, exclaiming, 'Indeed, why should we support this old
man?--'tied the Muni to a raft and committing him to the mercy of the stream
returned home without compunction. The blind old man drifting along the stream
on that raft, passed through the territories of many kings. One day a king
named Bali conversant with every duty went to the Ganges to perform his
ablutions. And as the monarch was thus engaged, the raft to which the Rishi was
tied, approached him. And as it came, the king took the old man. The virtuous Bali,
ever devoted to truth, then learning who the man was that was thus saved by
him, chose him for raising up offspring. And Bali said,
'O illustrious one, it behoveth thee to raise upon my wife a few
sons that shall be virtuous and wise.' Thus addressed, the Rishi endued with great
energy, expressed his willingness. Thereupon king Bali sent his wife Sudeshna
unto him. But the queen knowing that the latter was blind and old went not unto
him, she sent unto him her nurse. And upon that Sudra woman the virtuous Rishi
of passions under full control begat eleven children of whom Kakshivat was the
eldest. And beholding those eleven sons with Kakshivat as the eldest, who had
studied all the Vedas and who like Rishis were utterers of Brahma and were
possessed of great power, king Bali one day asked the Rishi saying, 'Are these
children mine?' The Rishi replied, 'No, they are mine. Kakshivat and others
have been begotten by me upon a Sudra woman. Thy unfortunate queen Sudeshna, seeing
me blind and old, insulted me by not coming herself but sending unto me,
instead, her nurse.' The king then pacified that best of Rishis and sent unto
him his queen Sudeshna. The Rishi by merely touching her person said to her,
'Thou shalt have five children named Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma,
who shall be like unto Surya (Sun) himself in glory. And after their names as
many countries shall be known on earth. It is after their names that their
dominions have come to be called Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma.'
"It was thus that the line of Bali was perpetuated, in days
of old, by a great Rishi. And it was thus also that many mighty bowmen and great
car-warriors wedded to virtue, sprung in the Kshatriya race from the seed of
Brahmanas. Hearing this, O mother, do as thou likest, as regards the matter in
hand.'"
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