SECTION CLXLIX
(Vaivahika Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Vyasa continued, 'In days of yore, the celestials
had once commenced a grand sacrifice in the forest of Naimisha. At that
sacrifice, O king, Yama, the son of Vivaswat, became the slayer of the
devoted animals. Yama, thus employed in that sacrifice, did not (during
that period), O king, kill a single human being. Death being suspended in
the world, the number of human beings increased very greatly. Then Soma
and Sakra and Varuna and Kuvera, the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Vasus, the
twin Aswins,--these and other celestials went unto Prajapati, the Creator
of the universe. Struck with fear for the increase of the human
population of the world they addressed the Master of creation and said,
'Alarmed, O lord, at the increase of human beings on earth, we come to
thee for relief. Indeed, we crave your protection.' Hearing those words
the Grandsire said, 'Ye have little cause to be frightened at this
increase of human beings. Ye all are immortal. It behoveth you not to
take fright at human beings.' The celestials replied, 'The mortals have
all become immortal. There is no distinction now between us and them.
Vexed at the disappearance of all distinction, we have come to you in
order that you mayest distinguish us from them.' The Creator then said,
'The son of Vivaswat is even now engaged in the grand sacrifice. It is
for this that men are not dying. But when Yama's work in connection with
the sacrifice terminates, men will again begin to die as before.
Strengthened by your respective energies, Yama will, when that time
comes, sweep away by thousands the inhabitants on earth who will scarcely
have then any energy left in them.'
"Vyasa continued, 'Hearing these words of the first-born deity, the
celestials returned to the spot where the grand sacrifice was being
performed. And the mighty one sitting by the side of the Bhagirathi saw a
(golden) lotus being carried along by the current. And beholding that
(golden) lotus, they wondered much. And amongst them, that foremost of
celestials, viz., Indra, desirous of ascertaining whence it came,
proceeded up along the course of the Bhagirathi. And reaching that spot
whence the goddess Ganga issues perennially, Indra beheld a woman
possessing the splendour of fire. The woman who had come there to take
water was washing herself in the stream, weeping all the while. The
tear-drops she shed, falling on the stream, were being transformed into
golden lotuses. The wielder of the thunderbolt, beholding that wonderful
sight, approached the woman and asked her, 'Who are thou, amiable lady?
Why dost you weep? I desire to know the truth. O, tell me everything.'
"Vyasa continued, 'The woman thereupon answered, 'O Sakra, you mayest
know who I am and why, unfortunate that I am, I weep, if only, O chief of
the celestials, you comest with me as I lead the way. Thou shall then
see what it is I weep for." Hearing these words of the lady, Indra
followed her as she led the way. And soon he saw, not far off from where
he was, a handsome youth with a young lady seated on a throne placed on
one of the peaks of Himavat and playing at dice. Beholding that youth,
the thief of the celestials said, 'Know, intelligent youth, that this
universe is under my sway.' Seeing, however, that the person addressed
was so engrossed in dice that he took no notice of what he said, Indra
was possessed by anger and repeated, 'I am the lord of the universe. The
youth who was none else than the god Mahadeva (the god of the gods),
seeing Indra filled with wrath, only smiled, having cast a glance at him.
At that glance, however, the chief of the celestials was at once
paralysed and stood there like a stake. When the game at dice was over,
Isana addressing the weeping woman said, 'Bring Sakra hither, for I shall
soon so deal with him that pride may not again enter his heart.' As soon
as Sakra was touched by that woman, the chief of the celestials with
limbs paralysed by that touch, fell down on the earth. The illustrious
Isana of fierce energy then said unto him, 'Act not, O Sakra, ever again
in this way. Remove this huge stone, for your strength and energy are
immeasurable, and enter the hole (it will disclose) where await some
others possessing the splendour of the sun and who are all like unto
thee.' Indra, then, on removing that stone, beheld a cave in the breast
of that king of mountains, within which were four others resembling
himself. Beholding their plight, Sakra became seized with grief and
exclaimed, 'Shall I be even like these?' Then the god Girisha, looking
full at Indra with expanded eyes, said in anger, 'O you of a hundred
sacrifices, enter this cave without loss of time, for you hast from
folly insulted me.' Thus addressed by the lord Isana, the chief of the
celestials, in consequence of that terrible imprecation, was deeply
pained, and with limbs weakened by fear trembled like the wind-shaken
leaf of a Himalayan fig. And cursed unexpectedly by the god owning a bull
for his vehicle, Indra, with joined hands and shaking from head to foot,
addressed that fierce god of multi-form manifestations, saving, 'Thou
art, O Bhava, the over-looker of the infinite Universe!' Hearing these
words the god of fiery energy smiled and said, 'Those that are of
disposition like yours never obtain my grace. These others (within the
cave) had at one time been like thee. Enter you this cave, therefore,
and lie there for some time. The fate of you all shall certainly be the
same. All of you shall have to take your birth in the world of men,
where, having achieved many difficult feats and slaying a large number of
men, the shall again by the merits of your respective deeds, regain the
valued region of Indra. Ye shall accomplish all I have said and much more
besides, of other kinds of work.' Then those Indras, of their shorn glory
said, 'We shall go from our celestial regions even unto the region of men
where salvation is ordained to be difficult of acquisition. But let the
gods Dharma, Vayu, Maghavat, and the twin Aswins beget us upon our
would-be mother. Fighting with men by means of both celestial and human
weapons, we shall again come back into the region of Indra.'
"Vyasa continued, 'Hearing these words of the former Indras, the wielder
of the thunderbolt once more addressed that foremost of gods, saying,
'Instead of going myself, I shall, with a portion of my energy, create
from myself a person for the accomplishment of the task (thou assignest)
to form the fifth among these!' Vishwabhuk, Bhutadhaman, Sivi of great
energy, Santi the fourth, and Tejaswin, these it is said were the five
Indras of old. And the illustrious god of the formidable bow, from his
kindness, granted unto the five Indras the desire they cherished. And he
also appointed that woman of extraordinary beauty, who was none else than
celestial Sri (goddess of grace) herself, to be their common wife in the
world of men. Accompanied by all those Indras, the god Isana then went
unto Narayana of immeasurable energy, the Infinite, the Immaterial, the
Uncreate, the Old, the Eternal, and the Spirit of these universes without
limits. Narayana approved of everything. Those Indras then were born in
the world of men. And Hari (Narayana) took up two hairs from his body,
one of which hairs was black and the other white. And those two hairs
entered the wombs of two of the Yadu race, by name Devaki and Rohini. And
one of these hairs viz., that which was white, became Valadeva. And the
hair that was black was born as Kesava's self, Krishna. And those Indras
of old who had been confined in the cave on the Himavat are none else
than the sons of Pandu, endued with great energy. And Arjuna amongst the
Pandavas, called also Savyasachin (using both hands with equal dexterity)
is a portion of Sakra.'
"Vyasa continued, 'Thus, O king, they who have been born as the Pandavas
are none else than those Indras of old. And the celestial Sri herself who
had been appointed as their wife is this Draupadi of extraordinary
beauty. How could she whose effulgence is like that of the sun or the
moon, whose fragrance spreads for two miles around, take her birth in any
other than an extraordinary way, viz., from within the earth, by virtue
of the sacrificial rites? Unto thee, O king, I cheerfully grant this
other boon in the form of spiritual sight. Behold now the sons of Kunti
endued with their sacred and celestial bodies of old!'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Saying this, that sacred Brahmana Vyasa of
generous deeds, by means of his ascetic power, granted celestial sight
unto the king. Thereupon the king beheld all the Pandavas endued with
their former bodies. And the king saw them possessed of celestial bodies,
with golden crowns and celestial garlands, and each resembling Indra
himself, with complexions radiant as fire or the sun, and decked with
every ornament, and handsome, and youthful, with broad chests and
statures measuring about five cubits. Endued with every accomplishment,
and decked with celestial robes of great beauty and fragrant garlands of
excellent making the king beheld them as so many three-eyed gods
(Mahadeva), or Vasus, or Rudras, or Adityas themselves. And observing the
Pandavas in the forms of those Indras of old, and Arjuna also in the form
of Indra sprung from Sakra himself, king Drupada was highly pleased. And
the monarch wondered much on beholding that manifestation of celestial
power under deep disguise. The king looking at his daughter, that
foremost of women endued with great beauty, like unto a celestial damsel
and possessed of the splendour of fire or the moon, regarded her as the
worthy wife of those celestial beings, for her beauty, splendour and
fame. And beholding that wonderful sight, the monarch touched the feet of
Satyavati's son, exclaiming, 'O great Rishi, nothing is miraculous in
thee!' The Rishi then cheerfully continued, 'In a certain hermitage there
was an illustrious Rishi's daughter, who, though handsome and chaste,
obtained not a husband. The maiden gratified, by severe ascetic penances,
the god Sankara (Mahadeva). The lord Sankara, gratified at her penances,
told her himself. 'Ask you the boon you desirest' Thus addressed, the
maiden repeatedly said unto the boon-giving Supreme Lord, 'I desire to
obtain a husband possessed of every accomplishment. Sankara, the chief of
the gods, gratified with her, gave her the boon she asked, saying, 'Thou
shall have, amiable maiden, five husbands.' The maiden, who had succeeded
in gratifying the god, said again, 'O Sankara, I desire to have from thee
only one husband possessed of every virtue?' The god of gods,
well-pleased with her, spake again, saying, 'Thou hast, O maiden,
addressed me five full times, repeating, 'Give me a husband.' Therefore,
O amiable one, it shall even be as you hast asked. Blessed be thou. All
this, however, will happen in a future life of thine!'
"Vyasa continued, 'O Drupada, this your daughter of celestial beauty is
that maiden. Indeed, the faultless Krishna sprung from Prishata's race
hath been pre-ordained to become the common wife of five husbands. The
celestial Sri, having undergone severe ascetic penances, hath, for the
sake of the Pandavas, had her birth as your daughter, in the course of thy
grand sacrifice. That handsome goddess, waited upon by all the
celestials, as a consequence of her own acts becomes the (common) wife of
five husbands. It is for this that the self-create had created her.
Having listened to all this, O king Drupada, do what you desirest.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 1 : UPA-PARVA 199 ---------------------
