did not quarrel with one another, what need then be said of the men?
During his rule his subjects were always devoted to virtue. Contented,
crowned with fruition in respect of all the objects of their desire,
fearless, free, and wedded to the vow of truth, were all the people when
Rama governed the kingdom. The trees always bore flowers and fruit and
were subject to no accidents. Every cow yielded milk filling a drona to
the brim. Having dwelt, in the observance of severe penances, for four
and ten years in the woods, Rama performed ten Horse-sacrifices of great
splendour[92] and to them the freest access was given to all. Possessed
of youth, of a dark complexion, with red eyes, he looked like the leader
of an elephantine herd. With aims stretching down to his knees and of
handsome face, his shoulders were like those of a lion and the might of
his arms great. Ascending upon the throne of Ayodhya, he ruled for ten
thousand and ten hundred years. When, he O Srinjaya, who transcended thee
in the four principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a
prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O
Srinjaya, that king Bhagiratha also died. In one of the sacrifices of
that king, intoxicated with the Soma he had drunk, Indra, the adorable
chastiser of Paka and the chief of the gods, vanquished, by putting forth
the might of his arms, many thousands of Asuras. King Bhagiratha, in one
of the sacrifices he performed, gave away a million of maidens adorned
with ornaments of gold. Each of those maidens sat upon a car and unto
each car were attached four steeds. With each car were a hundred
elephants, all of the foremost breed and decked with chains of gold.
Behind each elephant were a thousand steeds, and behind each steed a
thousand kine, and behind each cow a thousand goats and sheep. (The
river-goddess) Ganga, named (from before) Bhagirathi, sat upon the lap of
this king dwelling near (her stream), and from this incident she came to
be called Urvasi.[93] The triple-coursed Ganga had agreed to be the
daughter of Bhagiratha of Ikshvaku's race, that monarch ever engaged in
the performance of sacrifices with presents in profusion unto the
Brahmanas.[94] When he, O Srinjaya, who transcended thee in respect of
the four principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey
to death, do not grieve for thy son. We hear, O Srinjaya, that the
high-souled Dilipa also fell a prey to death. The Brahmanas love to
recite his innumerable deeds. In one of his great sacrifices that king,
with heart fully assenting, gave away the entire earth, abounding with
wealth, unto the Brahmanas. In each sacrifice performed by him, the chief
priest received as sacrificial fee a thousand elephants made of gold. In
one of his sacrifices, the stake (set up for slaughtering the victims)
was made of gold and looked exceedingly beautiful. Discharging the duties
assigned to them, the gods having Sakra for their chief, used to seek the
protection of that king. Upon that golden stake possessed of great
effulgence and decked with a ring, six thousand Gods and Gandharvas
danced in joy, and Viswavasu himself, in their midst played on his Vina
the seven notes according to the rules that regulate their combinations.
Such was the character of Viswavasu's music that every creature (whatever
he might be) thought that the great Gandharva was playing to him alone.
No other monarch could imitate this achievement of king Dilipa. The
elephants of that king, intoxicated and adorned with housings of gold,
used to lie down on the roads.[95] Those men proceeded to heaven that
succeeded in obtaining a sight even of the high-souled king Dilipa who
was ever truthful in speech and whose bow could bear a hundred foes equal
in energy to a hundred Anantas.[96] These three sounds never ceased in
Dilipa's abode, viz., the voice of Vedic recitations, the twang of bows,
and cries of Let it be given. When he, O Srinjaya, who transcended thee
in the four principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a
prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. Yuvanaswa's son
Mandhatri also, O Sanjaya, we have heard, fell a prey to death. The
deities named Maruts extracted that child from his sire's stomach through
one of its sides. Sprung from a quantity of clarified butter that had
been sanctified by mantras (and that had by mistake been quaffed by his
sire instead of his sire's spouse) Mandhatri was born in the stomach of
the high-souled Yuvanaswa. Possessed of great prosperity, king Mandhatri
conquered the three worlds. Beholding that child of celestial beauty
lying on the lap of his sire, the God asked one another, 'From whom shall
this child obtain suck?' Then Indra approached him, saying, 'He shall
obtain stick even from me!' From this circumstance, the chief of the
deities came to call the child by the name of Mandhatri.[97] From the
nourishment of that high-souled child of Yuvanaswa, the finger of Indra,
placed in his mouth, began to yield a jet of milk. Sucking Indra's
finger, he grew up into a stout youth in a hundred days, In twelve days
he looked like one of twelve years. The whole earth in one day came under
the sway of that high-souled and virtuous and brave king who resembled
Indra himself for prowess in battle. He vanquished king Angada, Marutta,
Asita, Gaya, and Vrihadratha the king of the Angas.[98] When Yuvanaswa's
son fought in battle with Angada, the Gods thought that the firmament was
breaking with the twang of his how. The whole earth from where the Sun
rises to where he sets is said to be the field of Mandhatri. Having
performed Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuyas, he gave unto the
Brahmanas many Rohita fishes. Those fishes were each ten Yojanas in
length and one in breadth. Those that remained after gratifying the
Brahmanas were divided amongst themselves by the other classes. When he,
O Srinjaya, who transcended thee in respect of the four principal
attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not
grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Sanjaya, that Yayati, the son
of Nahusha, also fell a prey to death. Having subjugated the whole world
with its seas, he journeyed through it, decking it with successive
sacrificial altars the intervals between which were measured by throws of
a heavy piece of wood. Indeed, he reached the very shores of the sea as
he proceeded performing great sacrifices (on those altars along his
way).[99] Having performed a thousand sacrifices and a hundred Vajapeyas,
he gratified the foremost of Brahmanas with three mountains of gold.
Having slain many Daityas and Danavas duly arrayed in battle, Nahusha's
son, Yayati, divided the whole earth (among his children). At last
discarding his other sons headed by Yadu and Drahyu, he installed (his
youngest son) Puru on his throne and then entered the woods accompanied
by his wife, When he, O Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four
principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to
death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that
Amvarisha also, the son of Nabhaga, fell a prey to death. That protector
(of the world) and foremost of kings was regarded by his subjects as the
embodiment of virtue. That monarch, in one of his sacrifices, assigned to
the Brahmanas, for waiting upon them, a million of kings who had
themselves performed thousands of sacrifices each. Men of piety praised
Amvarisha, the son of Nabhaga, saying that such feats had never been
achieved before nor would their like be achieved in the future.[100]
Those hundreds upon hundreds and thousands upon thousands of kings (that
had at the command of Amvarisha waited at his sacrifices upon the
Brahmanas that came there) became (through Amvarisha's merits) crowned
with the fruits of the Horse-sacrifice, and followed their lord by the
Southern-path (to regions or brightness and bliss). When he, O Srinjaya,
who far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer
than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy child that is
dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that Sasavindu also, the son of Chitrasena,
felt a prey to death. That high-souled king had a hundred thousand wives,
and million of sorts. All of them used to wear golden armour and all of
them were excellent bowmen. Each of those princes married a hundred
princesses, and each princess brought a hundred elephants. With each of
those elephants were a hundred cars. With each car were a hundred steeds,
all of good breed and all decked with trappings of gold. With each steed
were a hundred kine, and with each cow were a hundred sheep and goats.
This countless wealth, O monarch, Sasavindu gave away, in a
Horse-sacrifice, unto the Brahmanas. When he, O Srinjaya, who far
surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer than
thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy child that is dead.
We hear, O Srinjaya, that Gaya also, the son of Amurtarayas, fell a prey
to death. For a hundred years, that king subsisted upon the remains of
sacrificial food. (Pleased with such devotion) Agni desired to give him
boons. The boons solicited by Gaya were, 'Let my wealth be inexhaustible
even if I give ceaselessly. Let my regard for virtue exist for ever. Let
my heart ever take pleasure in Truth, through thy grace, O cater of
sacrificial libations.' It hath been heard by us that king Gaya obtained
all those wishes from Agni. On days of the new moon, on those of the full
moon, and on every fourth month, for a thousand years, Gaya repeatedly
performed the Horse-sacrifice. Rising (at the completion of every
sacrifice) he gave away a hundred thousand kine and hundreds of mules
(unto the Brahmanas) during this period. That bull among men gratified
the gods with Soma, the Brahmanas with wealth, the Pitris with Swadha,
and the women with the accomplishment of all their wishes. In his great
Horse-sacrifice, king Gaya caused a golden ground to be made, measuring a
hundred cubits in length and fifty in breadth, and gave it away as the
sacrificial fee. That foremost of men, viz., Gaya, the son of
Amurtarayas, gave away as many kine as there are sand grains, O king, in
the river Ganga. When he, O Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four
principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to
death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that
Sankriti's son Rantideva also fell a prey to death. Having undergone the
austerest of penances and adored him with great reverence, he obtained
these boons from Sakra, having solicited them, saying 'Let us have
abundant food and numerous guests. Let not my faith sustain any
diminution, and let us not have to ask anything of any person.' The
animals, both domestic and wild, slaughtered in his sacrifice, used to
come to him, viz., the high-souled Rantideva of rigid vows and great
fame, of their own accord. The secretions that flowed from the skins of
the animals (slaughtered in his sacrifices), produced a mighty and
celebrated river which to this day is known by the name of Charmanwati.
King Rantideva used to make gifts unto the Brahmanas in an extensive
enclosure. When the king said, 'Unto thee I give a hundred nishkas! Unto
thee I give a hundred,' the Brahmanas (without accepting what was
offered) made a noise (expressive of refusal). When, however, the king
would say, 'I give a thousand nishkas,' the gifts were all accepted. All
the vessels and plates, in Rantideva's palace, for holding food and other
articles, all the jugs and pots, the pans and plates and cups, were of
gold. On those nights during which the guests used to live in Rantideva's
abode, twenty thousand and one hundred kine had to be slaughtered. Yet
even on such occasions, the cooks, decked in ear-rings, used to proclaim
(amongst those that sat down to supper): 'There is abundant soup, take as
much as ye wish; but of flesh we have not as much today as on former
occasions.' When he, O Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four
principal attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to
death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that
the high-souled Sagara also fell a prey to death. He was of Ikshvaku's
race, a tiger among men, and of superhuman prowess. Sixty thousand sons
used to walk behind him, like myriads upon myriads of stars waiting upon
the Moon in the cloudless firmament of autumn. His sway extended over the
whole of this earth.[101] He gratified the gods by performing a thousand
Horse-sacrifices. He gave away unto deserving Brahmanas palatial mansions
with columns of gold and (other parts) made entirely of that precious
metal, containing costly beds and bevies of beautiful ladies with eyes
resembling petals of the lotus, and diverse other kinds of valuable
objects. At his command, the Brahmanas divided those gifts among
themselves. Through anger that king caused the earth to be excavated
whereupon she came to have the ocean on her bosom, and for this, the
ocean has come to be called Sagara after his name. When he, O Srinjaya,
who far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer
than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is
dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that king Prithu also, the son of Vena, fell a
prey to death. The great Rishis, assembling together in the great forest,
installed him in the sovereignty of the earth. And because it was thought
that he would advance all mankind, he was, for that reason, called Prithu
(the advancer). And because also he protected people from injuries
(Kshata), he was, for that reason, called a Kshatriya (protector from
injuries). Beholding Prithu the son of Vena, all the creatures of the
earth exclaimed, 'We have been lovingly attached to him.' From this
circumstance of the loving attachment (to him of all creatures), he came
to be called a Raja (one that can inspire attachment). The earth, during
his sway, yielded crops without being tilled, every leaf that the trees
had bore honey; and every cow yielded a jugful of milk. All men were hale
and all their wishes used to be crowned with fruition. They had no fear
of any kind. They used to live, as they pleased, in fields or in
(sheltered) houses. When Prithu desired to go over the sea, the waters
became solidified. The rivers also never swelled up when he had to cross
them but remained perfectly calm. The standard on his car moved freely
everywhere (without being obstructed by any impediment). King Prithu, in
one of his grand Horse-sacrifices, gave away unto the Brahman as one and
twenty mountains of gold, each measuring three nalwas.[102] When he, O
Srinjaya, who far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who
was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son
that is dead. Upon what, O Srinjaya, dost thou reflect in silence? It
seems, O king, that thou hearest not these words of mine. If thou hast
not heard them, then this discourse of mine has been a fruitless
rhapsody, like medicine or diet, to a person on the point of death.'
"Srinjaya said, 'I am attending, O Narada, to this discourse of thine, of
excellent import and perfumed like a garland of flowers, - this discourse
upon the conduct of high-souled royal sages of meritorious deeds and
great fame, that can certainly dispel grief. Thy discourse, O great sage,
has not been a fruitless rhapsody. I have been freed from grief at thy
very sight. Like one never satiated with drinking nectar, I am not
satiated with thy words. O thou of true sight, if thou, O lord, be
inclined to show thy grace towards this person burning on account of the
death of his son, then that son, through that grace of thine, is sure to
be revived and to mingle once more with me (in this life).
"Narada said, 'I will give back to thee that son of thine, named
Suvarnashthivin, whom Parvata gave thee and who has been bereft of life.
Of the splendour of gold, that child shall have a thousand years.'"
SECTION XXX
"Yudhishthira said, 'How did the son of Srinjaya become
Suvarnashthivin?[103] Why also did Parvata give Srinjaya that child? And
why did he die? When the lives of all men in those days extended for a
thousand years, why did Srinjaya's son die in infancy? Or, was he in name
only Suvarnashthivin? How also did he come to be so? I desire to know all
this.'
"Krishna said, "I will recite to thee, O king, the facts as they
happened. There are two Rishis, the foremost ones in the world, named
Narada and Parvata. Narada is the maternal uncle and Parvata is his
sister's son. With cheerful hearts, the uncle Narada and the nephew
Parvata had, in days of old, O king, left heaven for a pleasant ramble on
earth for tasting clarified butter and rice. Both of them, possessed of
great ascetic merit, wandered over the earth, subsisting on food taken by
human beings. Filled with joy and entertaining great affection for each
other, they entered into a compact that, whatever wish, good or bad,
would be entertained by one should be disclosed to the other, but on the
event of one of them acting otherwise, he should be subject to the
other's curse. Agreeing to that understanding, those two great Rishis,
adored of all the worlds, repaired to king Srinjaya, the son of Sitya and
said unto him, 'We two, for thy good, shall dwell with thee for a few
days. O lord of earth, do thou attend to all our wants duly.' The king,
saying, So be it, set himself to attend upon them hospitably. After a
while, one day, the king filled with joy, introduced to those illustrious
ascetics his daughter of the fairest complexion, saying, 'This my
daughter will wait upon you both. Bright as the filaments of the lotus,
she is beautiful and of faultless limbs, accomplished and of sweet
manners, and is called Sukumari by name.' 'Very well,' said the Rishis in
reply, upon which the king directed his daughter, telling her, 'O child,
attend upon these two Brahmanas as thou wouldst upon the gods or thy
sire.' The virtuous princess, saying, 'So be it' began to attend upon
them in obedience to her father's behest. Her dutiful services and her
unrivalled beauty very soon inspired Narada with a tender flame towards
her. That tender sentiment began to grow in the heart of the illustrious
saint like the moon gradually waxing on the accession of the lighted
fortnight. The virtuous Narada, however, overwhelmed by shame, could not
disclose that burning attachment to his sister's son, the high-souled
Parvata. By his ascetic power, as also by signs, Parvata understood all.
Inflamed with rage, the latter thereupon resolved to curse the
love-afflicted Narada. And he said, 'Having of thy own accord made a
compact with me that, whatever wish, good or bad, would be cherished by
either of us should be disclosed to the other, thou hast violated it.
These were thy own words. O Brahmana! It is for this that I shall curse
thee. Thou didst not tell me before that thy heart has been pierced by
the charms of the maiden Sukumari! It is for this that I shall curse
thee. Thou art a Brahmacharin. Thou art my preceptor. Thou art an ascetic
and a Brahmana. Yet hast thou broken the compact thou hadst made with me.
Fitted with rage I shall, for this, curse even thee. Listen to me. This
Sukumari shall, without doubt, become thy wife. From the time of thy
marriage, however, O puissant one, both she and all men shall behold thee
an ape, for thy true features having disappeared, an ape shalt thou
appear unto all.' Hearing these words of his, the uncle Narada, filled
with wrath, cursed his nephew Parvata in return, saying, 'Although thou
hast ascetic merit and Brahmacharya and truth and self-restraint, and
although thou art ever devoted to virtue, thou shalt not yet succeed in
proceeding to heaven.' Filled with rage and desire of vengeance, they
thus cursed and flamed against each other like a couple of infuriated
elephants. From that time the high-souled Parvata began to wander over
the earth, respected as he deserved, O Bharata, for his own energy.
Narada then, that foremost of Brahmanas, obtained according to due rites
the hand of Srinjaya's daughter, the faultless Sukumari. The princess,
however, beheld Narada exactly as the curse had said. Indeed, just after
the last of the wedding mantras had been recited, Sukumari beheld the
celestial Rishi to have a face like that of an ape. She, however, did not
on that account, disregard her lord. On the other hand, she dedicated her
love to him. Indeed, the princess, chaste as she was, devoted herself
entirely to her lord and did not in her heart even desire any one else
among the gods, Munis, and Yakshas for a husband. One day, as the
illustrious Parvata, in course of his wanderings, entered a solitary
forest, he beheld Narada there. Saluting him, Parvata said, 'Show thy
grace unto me by permitting me, O puissant one, to co to heaven.' Seeing
the cheerless Parvata kneeling before him with joined hands, Narada,
himself mere cheerless, said unto him, 'Thou hadst cursed me first,
saying, 'Be thou an ape!' After thou hadst said so unto me, I cursed thee
from anger, saying, 'From this day thou shalt not dwell in heaven!' It
was not well of thee, since thou art like a son unto me.' The two saints
then freed each other from their mutual curses. Beholding her husband
possessed of celestial form and blazing with beauty, Sukumari fled from
him, taking him to be somebody other than her lord. Seeing the beautiful
princess flying away from her lord, Parvata addressed her, saying, 'This
one is even thy husband. Do not entertain any scruple. This one is the
illustrious and puissant Rishi Narada, that foremost of virtuous persons.
He is thy lord, of one soul with thee. Do not have any doubt.' Assured in
diverse ways by the high Parvata and formed also of the curse on her
lord, the princess regained her equanimity. Then Parvata proceeded to
heaven and Narada to his home."
"Vasudeva continued, 'The illustrious Rishi Narada, who was himself an
actor in this matter, is here. O best of men, asked by thee, he will tell
thee everything that happened.'"
SECTION XXXI
Vaisampayana said, "The royal son of Pandu then addressed Narada, saying,
'O holy one, I desire to hear of the birth of the child whose excreta
were gold.' Thus addressed by king Yudhishthira the just, the sage Narada
began to narrate to him all that had occurred in connection with that
child of golden excreta.
"Narada said, 'It is even so, O thou of mighty arms, as Kesava here hath
said. Asked by thee I shall now recite the portion that remains of this
story. Myself, and my sister's son, the great ascetic Parvata, came (on
one occasion) unto Srinjaya that foremost of all victorious kings, for
dwelling with him. Honoured by him with due rites, and with every wish of
ours gratified, we took up our residence in his abode. After the season
of rains had gone, and when the time came for our own departure, Parvata
said unto me those words of grave import suitable to the hour: 'We have,
O Brahmana, dwelt in the abode of this king for some time, highly
honoured by him. Think of what return we should make.' I then, O monarch,
addressed Parvata of blessed aspect, saying, 'O nephew, this becomes
thee, and, O thou of great power, all this depends upon thyself. Through
thy boons let the king be made happy and let him obtain his wishes. Or,
if thou choosest, let him be crowned with success through the ascetic
merits of both of us.' After this, Parvata having called king Srinjaya,
that foremost of victorious persons, said unto him these words O bull of
Kuru's race, 'We have been exceedingly gratified, O king, with thy
hospitable attentions given to us with every sincerity. With our
permission, O foremost of men, think of the boon thou shouldst solicit.
Let the boon, however, be such that it may not imply enmity to the gods
or destruction to men! Accept then, O king, a boon, for thou deservest
one as we think.' Hearing these words, Srinjaya replied, 'If ye have been
gratified with me, my object then has been gained, for that of itself has
been my greatest gain and that is regarded by me as the fruition of all
my desire.' Unto Srinjaya who said so, Parvata again said, 'Solicit, O
king, the fruition of that wish which thou art cherishing in thy heart,
for a long time.' Srinjaya answered, 'I desire a son that shall be heroic
and possessed of great energy, firm in his vows and of long life, highly
blessed and possessed of splendour equal to that of the Chief himself of
the deities.' At this, Parvata said, 'This thy desire shall be fulfilled.