SECTION CCCXXXVIII
"Yudhishthira said, 'When the great king Vasu was so wholly devoted to
Narayana, for what reason then did he fall down from heaven and why again
had he to sink beneath the surface of the Earth?"
'Bhishma said, 'In this connection is cited an old narrative, O Bharata,
of a discourse between the Rishis and the gods. The gods, once on a time,
addressing many foremost of Brahmanas, said unto them that sacrifices
should be performed by offering up Ajas as victims. By the word Aja
should be understood the goat and no other animal.'
The Rishis said, The Vedic Sruti declares that in sacrifices the
offerings should consist of (vegetable) seeds. Seeds are called Ajas. It
behoveth you not to slay goats. Ye deities, that cannot be the religion
of good and righteous people in which slaughter of animals is laid down.
This, again, is the Krita age. How can animals be slaughtered in this
epoch of righteousness?'
"Bhishma continued, While this discourse was going between the Rishis and
the deities, that foremost of kings, viz., Vasu, was seen to come that
way. Endued with great prosperity, the king was coming through the
welkin, accompanied by his troops and vehicles and animals. Beholding
king Vasu coming to that spot through the skies, the Brahmanas addressing
the deities, said,--This one will remove our doubts. He performs
sacrifices. He is liberal in making gifts. He always seeks the good of
all creatures. How, indeed, will the great Vasu, speak otherwise,--Having
thus spoken unto each other, the deities and the Rishis quickly
approached king Vasu and questioned him, saying,--O king, with what
should one perform sacrifices? Should one sacrifice with the goat or with
herbs and plants? Do thou dispel this doubt of ours. We constitute thee
our judge in this matter.--Thus addressed by them, Vasu joined his hands
in humility and said unto them.--Tell me truly, ye foremost of Brahmanas,
what opinion is entertained by you in this matter?
"'The Rishis said, The opinion entertained by us, O king, is that
sacrifices should be performed with grain. The deities, however, maintain
that sacrifices should be performed with animals. Do thou judge between
us and tell us which of these opinions is correct.'
"Bhishma continued, 'Learning what the opinion was that was entertained
by the deities, Vasu, moved by partiality for them, said that sacrifices
should be performed with animals. At this answer, all the Rishis, endued
with the splendour of the Sun, became very angry. Addressing Vasu who was
seated on his car and who had (wrongly) taken up the side of the deities,
they said unto him,--Since thou hast (wrongly) taken up the side of the
deities, do thou fall down from heaven. From this day, O monarch, thou
shalt lose the power of journeying through the sky. Through our course,
thou shalt sink deep below the surface of the Earth. After the Rishis had
said these words, king Uparichara immediately fell down, O monarch, and
went down a hole in Earth. At the command, however, of Narayana, Vasu's
memory did not leave him. To the good fortune of Vasu, the deities,
pained at the course denounced on him by the Brahmanas, began to think
anxiously as to how that course might be neutralised. They said, This
high-souled king hath been cursed for our sake. We, denizens of heaven,
should unite together for doing what is good to him in return for that
which he has done to us. Having quickly settled this in their minds with
the aid of reflection, the deities proceeded to the spot where the king
Uparichara was. Arrived, at his presence, they addressed him, saying,
Thou art devoted to the great God of the Brahmanas (viz., Narayana). That
great Lord of both the deities and the Asuras, gratified with thee, will
rescue thee from the course that has been denounced upon thee. It is
proper, however, that the high-souled Brahmanas should be honoured.
Verily, O best of kings, their penances should fructify.[1813] Indeed,
thou hast already fallen down from the sky on the Earth. We desire,
however, O best of kings, to show thee a favour in one respect. As long
as thou, O sinless one, shalt dwell in his hole, so long shalt thou
receive (due sustenance, through our boon)! Those streaks of clarified
butter which Brahmans with concentrated minds pour in sacrifices in
accompaniment with sacred mantras, and which are called by the name of
Vasudhara, shall be thine, through our care for thee! Indeed weakness or
distress shall not touch thee.[1814] While dwelling, O king of kings, in
the hole of the Earth, neither hunger nor thirst shall afflict thee for
thou shalt drink those streaks of clarified butter called Vasudhara. Thy
energy also shall continue unabated. In consequence also of this our boon
that we grant thee, the God of gods, viz., Narayana will be gratified
with thee, and He will bear thee hence to the region of Brahman!--Having
granted these boons unto the king, the denizens of heaven, as also all
those Rishis possessed of wealth of penances, returned each to his
respective place. Then Vasu, O Bharata, began to adore the Creator of the
universe and to recite in silence those sacred mantras that had come out
of Narayana's mouth in days of yore.[1815] Although dwelling in a pit of
the Earth, the king still worshipped Hari, the Lord of all the deities,
in the well-known five sacrifices that are performed five times every
day, O slayer of foes! In consequence of these adorations, Narayana,
otherwise called Hari, became highly pleased with him who thus showed
himself to be entirely devoted to Him, by wholly relying upon Him as his
sole refuge, and who had completely subjugated his senses. The
illustrious Vishnu, that giver of boons, then addressing Garuda of great
speed, that foremost of birds, who waited upon Him as his servant, said
these desirable words:--O foremost of birds, O thou that art highly
blessed, listen to what I say! There is a great king of the name of Vasu
who is of righteous soul and rigid vows. Through the wrath of the
Brahmanas, he has fallen into a pit of the Earth. The Brahmans, have been
sufficiently honoured (for their curse has fructified). Do thou go to
that king now. At my command, O Garuda, go to that foremost of kings,
viz., Uparichara who is now dwelling in a whole of the Earth and
incapable of any longer sailing through the sky, and bring him up without
delay into the welkin. Hearing these words of Vishnu, Garuda, spreading
his wings and rushing with the speed of the wind, entered that hole in
the Earth in which king Vasu was living. Suddenly taking the king up, the
son of Vinata soared into the sky and there released the king from his
beaks. At that moment, king Uparichara once more acquired his celestial
form and re-entered the region of Brahman. It was in this way, O son of
Kunti, that great king first fell down through the curse of the Brahmanas
for a fault of speech, and once more ascended to heaven at the command of
the great God (Vishnu). Only the puissant Lord Hari, that foremost of all
Beings, was devoutly worshipped by him. It was for this devout worship
that the king succeeded very soon in escaping from the curse denounced
upon him by the Brahmanas and in regaining the felicitous regions of
Brahman.
"Bhishma continued, 'I have thus told thee everything respecting the
origin of the spiritual sons of Brahman. Listen to me with undivided
attention, for I shall now narrate to thee how the celestial Rishi Narada
proceeded in days of yore to White Island.'"
