SECTION XVII
"Vasudeva said,--'Arjuna hath indicated what the inclination should be of
one that is born in the Bharata race, especially of one who is the son of
Kunti. We know not when death will overtake us, in the night or in the
day. Nor have we ever heard that immortality hath been achieved by
desisting from fight. This, therefore, is the duty of men, viz., to
attack all enemies in accordance with the principles laid down in the
ordinance. This always gives satisfaction to the heart. Aided by good
policy, if not frustrated by Destiny, an undertaking becomes crowned with
success. If both parties aided by such means encounter each other, one
must obtain ascendency over the other, for both cannot win or lose. A
battle however, if directed by bad policy which again is destitute of the
well-known arts, ends in defeat or destruction. If, again, both parties
are equally circumstanced, the result becomes doubtful. Both, however,
cannot win. When such is the case, why should we not, aided by good
policy, directly approach the foe; and destroy him, like the current of
the river uprooting a tree? If, disguising our own faults, we attack the
enemy taking advantage of his loopholes, why should we not succeed?
Indeed, the policy of intelligent men, is that one should not fight
openly with foes that are exceedingly powerful and are at the head of
their well-arrayed forces. This too is my opinion. If, however, we
accomplish our purpose secretly entering the abode of our foe and
attacking his person, we shall never earn obloquy. That bull among
men--Jarasandha--alone enjoyeth unfaded glory, like unto him who is the
self in the heart of every created being. But I see his destruction
before me. Desirous of protecting our relatives we will either slay him
in battle or shall ascend to heaven being ourselves slain in the end by
him.'
Yudhishthira said--"O Krishna, who is this Jarasandha? What is his energy
and what is his prowess, that having touched you he hath not been burnt
like an insect at the touch of fire?"
Krishna said,--'Hear, O monarch, who Jarasandha is; what his energy; and
what is his prowess; and why also he hath been spared by us, Even though
he hath repeatedly offended us. There was a mighty king of the name of
Vrihadratha, the lord of the Magadhas. Proud in battle, he had three
Akshauhinis of troops. Handsome and endued with energy, possessed of
affluence and prowess beyond measure, and always bearing on his person
marks indicating installation at sacrifices. He was like a second Indra.
In glory he was like unto Suryya, in forgiveness like unto the Earth, in
wrath like unto the destroyer Yama and in wealth like unto Vaisravana.
And O you foremost of the Bharata race, the whole earth was covered by
his qualities that descended upon him from a long line of ancestors, like
the rays emerging from the sun. And, O bull of the Bharata race, endued
with great energy that monarch married two twin daughters of the king of
Kasi, both endued with the wealth of beauty. And that bull among men made
an engagement in secret with his wives that he would love them equally
and would never show a preference for either. And the lord of the earth
in the company of his two dearly loved wives, both of whom suited him
well, passed his days in joy like a mighty elephant in the company of two
cow-elephants, or like the ocean in his personified form between Ganga
and Yamuna (also in their personified forms). The monarch's youth
however, passed away in the enjoyment of his possessions, without any son
being born unto him to perpetuate his line. The best of monarch failed to
obtain a son to perpetuate his race, even by means of various auspicious
rites, and homas, and sacrifices performed with the desire for having an
offspring. One day the king heard that the high-souled Chanda-kausika,
the son of Kakshivat of the illustrious Gautama race, having desisted
from ascetic penances had come in course of his wanderings to his capital
and had taken his seat under the shade of a mango tree. The king went
unto that Muni accompanied by his two wives, and worshipping him with
jewels and valuable presents gratified him highly. That best of Rishis
truthful in speech and firmly attached to truth, then told the king,--O
king of kings, I have been pleased with thee. O you of excellent vows,
solicit you a boon. King Vrihadratha then, with his wives, bending low
unto that Rishi, spoke these words choked with tears in consequence of
his despair of obtaining a child.--'O holy one forsaking my kingdom I am
about to go into the woods to practise ascetic penances. I am very
unfortunate for I have no son. What shall I do, therefore, with my
kingdom or with a boon?'
Krishna continued,--"Hearing these words (of the king), the Muni
controlling his outer senses entered into meditation, sitting in the
shade of that very mango tree where he was. And there fell upon the lap
of the seated Muni a mango that was juicy and untouched by the beak of a
parrot or any other bird. That best of Munis, taking up the fruit and
mentally pronouncing certain mantras over it, gave it unto the king as
the means of his obtaining an incomparable offspring. And the great Muni,
possessed also of extraordinary wisdom, addressing the monarch,
said,--"Return, O king, your wish is fulfilled. Desist, O king, from going
(into the woods)".--Hearing these words of the Muni and worshipping his
feet, the monarch possessed of great wisdom, returned to his own abode.
And recollecting his former promise (unto them) the king gave, O bull of
the Bharata race, unto his two wives that one fruit. His beautiful
queens, dividing that single fruit into two parts, ate it up. In
consequence of the certainty of the realisation of the Muni's words and
his truthfulness, both of them conceived, as an effect of their having
eaten that fruit. And the king beholding them in that state became filled
with great joy. Then, O wise monarch, some time after, when the time
came, each of the queens brought forth a fragmentary body. And each
fragment had one eye, one arm, one leg, half a stomach, half a face, and
half an anus. Beholding the fragmentary bodies, both the mothers trembled
much. The helpless sisters then anxiously consulted each other, and
sorrowfully abandoned those fragments endued with life. The two midwives
(that waited upon the queens) then carefully wrapping up the still-born
(?) fragments went out of the inner apartments (of the palace) by the
back door and throwing away the bodies, returned in haste. A little while
after, O tiger among men, a Rakshasa woman of the name of Jara living
upon flesh and blood, took up the fragments that lay on a crossing. And
impelled by force of fate, the female cannibal united the fragments for
facility of carrying them away. And, O bull among men, as soon as the
fragments were united they formed a sturdy child of one body (endued with
life). Then, O king, the female cannibal, with eyes expanded in wonder,
found herself unable to carry away that child having a body as hard and
strong as the thunder-bolt. That infant then closing his fists red as
copper and inserting them into its mouth, began to roar terribly as
rain-charged clouds. Alarmed at the sound, the inmates of the palace, O
tiger among men, suddenly came out with the king, O slayer of all foes.
The helpless and disappointed and sad queens also, with breasts full of
milk, also came out suddenly to recover their child. The female cannibal
beholding the queens in that condition and the king too so desirous of an
offspring, and the child was possessed of such strength thought within
herself--I live within dominions of the king who is so desirous of an
offspring. It behoveth not me, therefore, to kill the infant child of
such an illustrious and virtuous monarch. The Rakshasa woman then,
holding the child in her arms like the clouds enveloping the sun, and
assuming a human form, told the king these words,--O Vrihadratha, this is
thy child. Given to you by me, O, take it. It hath been born of both thy
wives by virtue of the command of the great Brahmana. Cast away by the
midwives, it hath been protected by me!
"Krishna continued,--O you foremost of the Bharata race, the handsome
daughters of the king of Kasi, having obtained the child, soon drenched
it with their lacteal streams. The king ascertaining everything, was
filled with joy, and addressing that female cannibal disguised as a human
being possessing the complexion of gold, asked,--O you of the complexion
of the filament of the lotus, who are you that givest me this child? O
auspicious one, you seemest to me as a goddess roaming at your pleasure!"
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 17 ---------------------
