THE MAHABHARATA OF KRISHNA-DWAIPAYANA VYASA Translated into English prose from the original Sanskrit Text. BY PRATAP CHANDRA ROY, C. I. E. VOL XII ASWAMEDHA, ASRAMAVASIKA, MAHAPRASTHANIKA and SWARGA- ROHANIKA PARVAS ORIENTAL PUBLISHING CO. 11D, ARPULI LAKE CALCUTTA-12 Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com https://www.holybooks.com/mahabharata-all-volumes-in-12-pdf-files/ - ASWAMEDHA PARVA SECTION I (Aswamedhika Part/a) Having bowed down unto Narayana, and Nara the foremost of male beings, and unto the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered. Vaisampayana said, "After the king Dhritarashtra had offered libations of water (unto the manes of Bhisma), the mighty-armed 1 Yudhishthira, with his senses bewildered, placing the former in his front, ascended the banks (of the river), his eyes suffused with tears, and dropt down on the bank of the Ganga like an elephant pierced by the hunter. Then incited by Krishna, Bhima took him up sinking. 'This 1 must not be so, said Krishna, the grinder of hostile hosts. The Pandavas, O king, saw Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, troubled and lying on the ground, and also sighing again and again. And seeing the king despondent and feeble, the Pandavas, overwhelmed with grief, sat down, surrounding him. And endowed with high intelligence, and having the sight of wisdom, king Dhritarashtra, exceedingly afflicted with grief for his sons, addressed the monarch, saying, 'Rise up, O thou tiger among the Kurus. Do thou now attend to thy duties. O Kunti's son, thou hast conquered this Earth according to the usage of the Ksha- triyas. Do thou now, O lord of men, enjoy her with thy brothers and friends. O foremost of the righteous, I do not see why thou shouldst grieve. O lord of the Earth, having lost a hundred sons like unto riches obtained in a dream, it is Gandhari and I, who should mourn. Not having listened to the pregnant words of the high-souled Vidura, who sought our welfare, I, of perverse senses, (now) repent. The virtuous Vidura, endowed with divine insight, had told me, 'Thy race will meet with annihilation owing to the transgressions of Duryodhana. O king, if thou wish for the weal of thy line, act up to my advice. Cast off this wicked-minded monarch, Suyodhana, and let not either Kama or Sakuni by any means see him. Their gambling too do thou, without making any fuss suppress, and anoint the righteous king Yudhishthira. That one of subdued senses will righteously govern the Earth. If thou wouldst not have king Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, then, O monarch, do thou, performing a sacrifice, thyself take charge of the kingdom, and regarding all creatures with an even eyei O lord of men, do thou let thy kinsmen, O thou advancer of thy kindred, subsist on thy bounty.' When, O 1 'Mahavahu' oooure twice in this passage. One of the epithets is left out on the score of redundancy. T. Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com https://www.holybooks.com/mahabharata-all-volumes-in-12-pdf-files/ 2 MAHABHABATA Kunti's son, the far-sighted Vidura said this, fool that I was I followed the wicked Duryodhana. Having turned a deaf ear to the sweet speech of that sedate one, I have obtained this mighty sorrow as a consequence, and have been plunged in an ocean of woe. Behold thy old father and mother, O king, plunged in misery. But, O master ' of men, I find no occasion for thy grief. SECTION II Vaisampayana said, "Thus addressed by the intelligent king Dhritarashtra Yudhishthira, possessed of understanding, became calm. And then Kesava (Krishna) accosted him : 'If a person indulges ex- cessively in sorrow for his departed forefathers, he grieves them. (Therefore, banishing grief), do thou (now) celebrate many a sacrifice with suitable presents to the priests ; and do thou gratify the gods with Soma liquor, and the manes of thy forefathers, with their due food and drink. Do thou also gratify thy guests with meat and drink and the destitute with gifts commensurate with their desires. A person of thy high intelligence should not bear himself thus. What ought to be known hath been known by thee ; what ought to be done, hath also been per- formed. And thou hast heard the duties of the Kshatriyas, recited by Bhishma, the son of Bhagirathi, by Krishna Dwaipayana, Narada and Vidura. Therefore thou shouldst not walk the way of the stupid ; but pursuing the course of thy forefathers, sustain the burthen (of the empire). It is meet that a Kshatriya should attain heaven for certain by his (own) renown. Of heroes, those that came to be slain never shall have to turn away (from the celestial regions). Renounce thy grief, O mighty sovereign. Verily, what hath happened was destined to happen so. Thou canst in no wise see those that have been slain in this war. Having said this unto Yudhishthira, prince of the pious, the high-spirited Govinda paused ; and Yudhishthira answered him thus, 'O Govinda, full well do I know thy fondness for me. Thou hast ever favoured me with thy love and thy friendship. And, O holder of the mace and the discus- O scion of Yadu's race, O glorious one, if (now) with a pleased mind thou dost permit me to go to the ascetic's retreat in the woods, then thou wouldst compass what is highly desired by me. Peace find I none after having slain my grand-father, and that foremost of men, Karha, who never fled from the field of battle. Do thou, O Janarddana, so order that I may be freed from this heinous sin and that my mind may be purified. As Pritha's son was speaking thus, the highly- energetic Vyasa, cognisant of the dutes of life, soothing him, spoke is these excellent words, My child, thy mind not yet calmed ; and therefore thou art again stupefied by a childish sentiment. And where- fore, O child, do we over and over again scatter our speech to the winds ? Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com https://www.holybooks.com/mahabharata-all-volumes-in-12-pdf-files/ ASWAMEDHA PABVA 3 Thou knowest the duties of the Kshatriyas, who live by warfare. A king that hath performed his proper part should not suffer himself to be overwhelmed by sorrow. Thou hast faithfully listened to the I entire doctrine of salvation ; and have repeatedly removed thy misgivings arsing out of desire. But not paying due heed to what I have unfolded, tjiou of perverse understanding hast doubtless forgotten it clean. Be it not so. Such ignorance is not worthy of thee. O sinless one, thou knowest all kinds, of expiation ; and thou hast also heard of the virtues of kings as well as the merits of gifts. Wherefore then, O Bharata, acquainted with every morality and versed in all the Agamas, ' art thou overwhelmed (with grief) as if from ignorance ?' SECTION "III "Vyasa said, 'O Yudhishthira, thy wisdom, I conceive, is not adequate. None doth any act by virtue of his own power. It is God who engageth him in acts good or bad, O bestower of honour. Where then is the room for repentance ? Thou deemest thyself as having per* petrated impious acts. Do thou, therefore, O Bharata, barken as to the way in which sin may be removed. O Yudhishthira, those that commit sins, can always free themselves from them through penance, sacrifice and gifts. O king, O foremost of men, sinful people are purified by sacrifice, austerities and charity. The high-souled celestials and Asuras perform sacrifices for securing religious merit ; and therefore sacrifices ar of supreme importance. It is through sacrifices that the high-souled celestials had waxed so wondrously powerful; and having celebrated rites did they vanquish the Danavas. Do thou, O Yudhishthira, prepare for the Rajasuya, and the horse-sacrifice, as well as, O Bharata, for the 1 Sarvamedha and the Naramedha. And even as Dasaratha's son, Rama, or as Dushmanta's and Sakuntala's son, thy ancestor, the lord of the Earth, the exceedingly puissant king Bharata, had done, do thou agree- ably to the ordinance celebrate the Horse-sacrifice with Dakshinas. Yudhishthira replied : 'Beyond a doubt, the Horse-sacrifice purifieth princes. But I have a purpose of which it behoveth thee to hear. Having caused this huge carnage of kindred, I cannot, O best of the re- generate ones, dispense gifts even on a small scale ; I have no wealth to give. Nor can I for wealth solicit these juvenile sons of kings, staying in sorry plight, with their wounds yet green, and undergoing suffering. Howi O foremost of twice-born ones, having myself destroyed the Earth can I, overcome by sorrow, levy dues for celebrating a sacrifice ? Through Duryodhana's fault, O best of ascetics, the kings of the Earth have met with destruction, and we have reaped ignominy. For wealth 1 i.e., human sacrifice. From this it appears that the sacrifice of human beings was in vogue at the time. T. Downloaded from https://www.holybooks.com https://www.holybooks.com/mahabharata-all-volumes-in-12-pdf-files/ 4 MAfiABHABATA Duryodhana hath wasted the Earth ; and the treasury of that wicked- minded son of Dhritarashtra is empty. (In this sacrifice), the Eaith is the Dakshina ; this is the rule that is prescribed in the first instance. The usual reversal of this rule, though sanctioned, is observed, by the learned as such. Nor, O ascetic, do I like to have a substitute (for this process). In this matter, O reverend sir, it behoveth thee to favour me with thy counsel'.