SECTION LXXX
"Vaisampayana said, 'That lady of eyes like lotus petals, having indulged
in copious lamentations, and burning with grief, at last lost her senses
and fell down on the Earth. Regaining consciousness and seeing Ulupi, the
daughter of the snake chief, queen Chitrangada endued with celestial
beauty, said unto her these words, 'Behold. O Ulupi, our ever-victorious
husband slain in battle, through thee, by my son of tender years. Art
thou conversant with the practices of the respectable? Art thou a wife
devoted to thy lord? It is through thy deed that thy husband is laid low,
slain in battle. If Dhananjaya hath offended against thee in every
respect, do thou forgive him I solicit thee, do thou revive that hero. O
righteous lady, thou art conversant with piety. Thou art, O blessed one,
known (for thy virtues) over the three worlds. How is it that having
caused thy husband to be slain by my son, thou dost not indulge in grief?
O daughter of the snake chief, I do not grieve for my slain son. I grieve
for only my husband who has received this hospitality from his son.'
Having said these words unto the queenly Ulupi, the daughter of the snake
chief, the illustrious Chitrangada proceeded to where her husband lay on
the Earth and addressing him, said, 'Rise, O dear lord, thou occupiest
the foremost place in the affections of the Kuru king (Yudhishthira).
Here is that steed of thine. It has been set free by me. Verily, O
puissant one, this sacrificial steed of king Yudhishthira the just,
should be followed by thee. Why then dost thou lie still on the Earth? My
life-breaths depend on thee, O delighter of the Kurus. How is it that he
who is the giver of other people's life-breaths casts off his own
life-breaths today? Behold, O Ulupi, this goodly sight of thy husband
lying prostrate on the ground. How is it that thou dost not grieve,
having caused him to be slain through my son when thou didst excite with
thy words? It is fit that this boy should succumb to the power of death
and lie thus on the ground beside his own sire. Oh, let Vijaya, let him
that is called Gudakesa, let this hero with reddish eyes, come back O
life. O blessed lady, polygamy is not fault with men. Women only incur
fault by taking more than one husband. Do not, therefore, harbour such
thoughts (of vengeance).[196] This relationship was ordained by the
Supreme ordainer himself. It is, besides, an eternal and unchangeable
one. Do thou attend to that relationship. Let thy union (with Dhananjaya)
be made true. If, having slain thy husband through my son, thou dost not
revive him today before my eyes, I shall then cast off my life-breaths.
Without doubt, O reverend lady, afflicted as I am with grief and deprived
as I am of both husband and son, I shall sit here today in Praya in thy
very sight!' Having said so unto the daughter of the snake chief, who was
a co-wife with her to Arjuna, the princess Chaitravahini sat in Praya, O
king, restraining speech.'[197]
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Ceasing to lament, the cheerless queen, taking
upon her lap the feet of her husband, sat there, sighing heavily and
wishing also the restoration of her son to life. King Vabhruvahana then,
regaining consciousness, saw his mother seated in that guise on the field
of battle. Addressing her he said, 'What can be more painful than the
sight of my mother, who has been brought up in luxury, lying on the bare
ground beside her heroic husband stretched thereon? Alas, this slayer of
all foes, this foremost of all wielders of weapons, hath been slain by me
in battle, It is evident that men do not die till their hour comes.[198]
Oh, the heart of this princess seems to be very hard since it does not
break even at the sight of her mighty-armed and broad-chested husband
lying dead on the ground. It is evident that one does not die till one's
hour comes, since neither myself, nor my mother is deprived of life (at
even such a sight). Alas, alas, the golden coat of mail of this foremost
hero of Kuru's race, slain by me, his son, knowingly, is lying on the
ground, cut off from his body. Alas, ye Brahmanas, behold my heroic sire
lying prostrate on the Earth, on a hero's bed, slain by his son. What
benefit is done to this hero, slain by me in battle, by those Brahmanas
who were commissioned to attend upon this foremost one of Kuru's race
engaged in following the steed? Let the Brahmanas direct what expiation
should now be undergone by me, a cruel and sinful wretch, that has slain
his own sire in battle. Having slain my own sire, I should, suffering
every kind of misery, wander over the Earth, cruel that I am, covering
myself with his skin. Give me the two halves of my sire's head to day,
(so that I may wander over the Earth with them for that period), for
there is no other expiation for me that have slain my own sire. Behold, O
daughter of the foremost of snakes, thy husband slain by me. Verily, by
slaying Arjuna in battle I have accomplished what is agreeable to thee. I
shall today follow in the track by which my sire has gone. O blessed one,
I am unable to comfort myself. Be happy today, O mother, seeing myself
and the wielder of Gandiva both embrace death today. I swear to thee by
truth itself (that I shall castoff my life-breaths).' Having said these
words, the king, deeply afflicted with grief, O monarch, touched water,
and exclaimed in sorrow, 'Let all creatures, mobile and immobile, listen
to me. Do thou also listen to me, O mother. I say the truth, O best of
all daughters of the snakes. If this best of men, Jaya, my sire, does not
rise up, I shall emaciate my own body, sitting on the field of battle.
Having slain my sire, there is no rescue for me (from that dire sin).
Afflicted as I am with the sin of slaying my sire, I shall without doubt
have to sink in Hell. By slaying a heroic Kshatriya one becomes cleansed
by making a gift of a hundred kine. By slaying my sire, however, so dire
has been my sin that my I rescue is impossible. This Dhananjaya, the son
of Pandu, was the one hero endued with mighty energy. Possessed of
righteous soul, he was the author of my being. How can I be rescued after
having slain him? Having uttered these lamentations, the high-souled son
of Dhananjaya, king Vabhruvahana, touched water and became silent, vowing
to starve himself to death.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'When the king of Manipura, that chastiser of
foes, afflicted with grief, along with his mother, sat down to starve
himself to death, Ulupi then thought of the gem that has the virtue of
reviving a dead man. The gem, the great refuge of the snakes, thus
thought of, came there. The daughter of the prince of snakes taking it
up, uttered these words that highly gladdened the combatants standing on
the field. 'Rise up, O son. Do not grieve. Jishnu has not been vanquished
by thee. This hero is incapable of being vanquished by men as also by the
deities with Vasava himself at their head I have exhibited this illusion,
deceiving your senses, for the benefit of this foremost of men, viz., thy
illustrious sire. O thou of Kuru's race, desirous of ascertaining the
prowess of thyself, his son, this slayer of hostile heroes, O king, came
here for battling with thee. It was for that reason, O son, that thou
wert urged by me to do battle. O puissant king, O son, do not suspect
that thou hast committed any, even the least, fault, by accepting his
challenge. He is a Rishi, of a mighty soul, eternal and indestructible. O
dear son, Sakra himself is incapable of vanquishing him in battle. This
celestial gem has been brought by me, O king. It always revives the
snakes as often as they die. O puissant king, do thou place this gem on
the breast of thy sire. Thou shalt then see the son of Pandu revived.'
Thus addressed, the prince who had committed no sin, moved by affection
for his sire, then placed that gem on the breast of Pritha's son of
immeasurable energy. After the gem had been placed on his breast; the
heroic and puissant Jishnu became revived. Opening his red eyes he rose
up like one who had slept long. Beholding his sire, the high-souled hero
of great energy, restored to consciousness and quite at his ease,
Vabhruvahana worshipped him with reverence. When that tiger among men, O
puissant one, awoke from the slumber of death with every auspicious sign
of life, the chastiser of Paka rained down celestial flowers.
Kettle-drums struck by nobody, produced their music deep as the roar of
the cloud. A loud uproar was heard in the welkin consisting of the
words--Excellent, Excellent! The mighty-armed Dhananjaya, rising up and
well-comforted, embraced Vabhruvahana and smelled his head. He saw
sitting at a distance from his son, this latter's mother afflicted with
grief, in the company of Ulupi. Dhananjaya asked,--'Why is it that every
thing in the field of battle seems to bear the indications of grief,
wonder, and joy? If, O slayer of foes, the cause is known to thee, do
thou then tell me. Why has thy mother come to the field of battle? Why
also has Ulupi, the daughter of the prince of snakes, come here? I know
that thou hadst fought this battle with me at my own command. I desire to
know what the cause is that has brought out the ladies.' The intelligent
ruler of Manipura, thug questioned by Dhananjaya, gratified him by
bending his head in reverence, and then said,--'Let Ulupi be questioned.'
