(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
"Jaritari said, 'The person that is wise remaineth remains wakeful in view of death. Accordingly, when the hour of death approacheth approaches, he feeleth feels no pangs. But the person of perplexed soul, who remaineth remains not awake, when the hour of death comes, feeleth feels the pangs of death and never attaineth attains salvation.'
"The second brother Sarisrikka, said, 'Thou you art patient and intelligent. The time is come when our lives are threatened. Without doubt, one only amongst many becometh becomes wise and brave.'
"The third brother, Stamvamitra, said, 'The eldest brother is called the protector. It is the eldest brother that rescueth rescues (the younger ones) from danger. If the eldest himself faileth fails to rescue them, what can the younger ones do?'
"The fourth and the youngest brother, Drona said, 'The cruel , with seven tongues and seven mouths quickly cometh comes towards our habitation, blazing forth in splendour and licking up everything in his path.'
" continued, 'Having addressed one another thus, the sons of then each devotedly addressed an eulogistic hymn to . Listen now, O monarch, to those hymns as I recite them.'
"Jaritari said, 'Thou you art, O fire, the soul of air! Thou you art the body of the Earth's vegetation! O Sukra, water is thy your parent as thou you art the parent of water! O thou you of great energy, thy your flames, like the rays of the sun, extend themselves above, below, behind, and on each side.'
"Sarisrikka said, 'O smoke-bannered god, our mother is not to be seen, and we know not our father! Our feathers have not grown as yet. We have none to protect us save thee you. Therefore, O , infants that we are protect us! O , as we are distressed, protect us with that auspicious form thou you hast have and with those seven flames of thine yours! We seek protection at thy your hands. Thou you alone, O , art the giver of heat (in the universe). O lord, there is none else (save thee you) that giveth gives heat to the rays of the sun. O, protect us who are young and who are Rishis. O Havyavaha (carrier of sacrificial butter), be pleased to go hence by some other route.'
"Stamvamitra said, 'Thou you alone, O , art everything! This whole universe is established in thee you! Thou you sustainest every creature, and thou you supportest support the universe! Thou you art the carrier of the sacrificial butter, and thou you art the excellent sacrificial butter itself! The wise know thee you to be one (as cause) and many (as effects)! Having created the three worlds, thou you, O Havyavaha, again destroyest destroy them when the time cometh comes, swelling thyself forth! Thou you art the productive cause of the whole universe, and thou you also art the essence in which the universe dissolveth dissolves itself!'
"Drona said, 'O lord of the universe, growing in strength and remaining within their bodies, thou you causest cause the food that living creatures eat to be digested. Everything therefore, is established in thee you. O Sukra, O thou you from whose mouth the Vedas have sprung, it is thou you who assumests the form of , and sucking up the waters of the earth and every liquid juice that the earth yields, givest give them back in time in the form of rain and causest cause everything to grow! From thee you, O Sukra, are these plants and creepers with green foliage! From thee you have sprung these tanks and pools, and the great ocean also that is ever blessed! O thou you of fierce rays, this our (human) body dependeth depends on (the water-god)! We are unable to bear thy your heat. Be thou you, therefore, our auspicious protector! O, destroy us not! O thou you of copper-hued eyes, O thou you of red neck, O thou you whose path is marked by a black colour, save us by going along any remote route, as indeed, the ocean saveth saves the house on its banks!'
" continued, 'Thus addressed by Drona--that utterer of Brahma--, well-pleased at what he heard, and remembering also the promise he had made to , replied unto to him, saying, 'Thou you art a Rishi, O Drona! For what thou you hast have said is Brahma (Vedic truth). I shall do your pleasure. Fear not! Indeed, had spoken to me of you to the effect that I should spare his sons, while consuming the forest. The words he spoke and thy your speech also are entitled to great weight to me. Say what I am to do. O best of Brahmanas, I have been greatly pleased with thy your hymn. Blest be thou you, O Brahmana!'
"Drona said, 'O Sukra, these cats trouble us every day. O ; consume them with their friends and relatives.'
" continued, 'Then did what the Sarngakas; asked him to do, telling them of his intentions. And, O , growing in strength, he began then to consume the forest of Khandava.'"
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, 'O thou you of Kuru's race, the Rishi became very anxious about his children, although he had spoken of them to the god of fierce rays. Indeed, his mind was not in peace. Distressed on account of his sons, he addressed Lapita (his second wife with whom he then was), saying, 'O Lapita, as my children are incapable of the power of moving, how are they? When the fire will grow in strength and the wind begin to blow violently, my children will scarcely be able to save themselves. How will their mother be able to rescue them? That innocent woman will be afflicted with great sorrow when she will find herself unable to save her offspring. Oh, how will she compose herself, uttering various lamentations on account of my children who are all incapable of taking wing or rising up into the air. Oh, how is Jaritari, my son, and how is Sarisrikka, and how is Stamvamitra, and how is Drona, and how also is their helpless mother?'
"Unto to the Rishi thus weeping in the forest, Lapita, O Bharata, thus replied, under the influence of jealousy, 'Thou you need not worry for thy your children who, as thou you hast have assured me, are all Rishis endued with energy and prowess! They can have no fear from fire. Didst did thou you not speak to in my presence, in their behalf? Has not the illustrious deity promised to save them? One of the regents of the universe as is, he will never falsify his speech. Thou you hast have no anxiety, nor is thy your heart inclined towards benefiting friends. It is only by thinking of her--my rival (Jarita) that thou you art so distracted! Certain it is that the love thou you bearest to me is not equal to what thou you hadst had for her at first. He that hath has two parties dividing his attention, can easily behold one of those suffer all sorts of pangs; but he should not disregard the party that is next to his heart. Then go thou you to Jarita, for whom thy your heart is sorrowing! As for myself, I shall henceforth from now on wander alone, as a fit reward for my having attached myself to a wicked person.'
"Hearing these words, replied, 'I do not wander over the earth with such intentions as thou you conceivest. It is only for the sake of progeny that I am here. And even those that I have are in danger. He who casteth casts off what he hath has for the sake of what he may acquire, is a wicked person. The world disregardeth disregards and insulteth insults him. (Therefore, go I must). As for thyself thou you art free to do what thou you choosest choose. This blazing fire that licketh licks up the trees causeth causes sorrow in my anxious heart and raiseth raises therein evil presentiments.'
" continued, 'Meanwhile, after the fire had left the spot where the Sarngakas dwelt, Jarita, much attached to her children, hastily came thither there to see how they were. She found that all of them had escaped from the fire and were perfectly well. Beholding their mother, they began to weep, though safe and sound. She too shed tears upon beholding them alive. And she embraced, one by one, all her weeping children. Just at that time, O Bharata, the Rishi arrived there. But none of his sons expressed joy, upon beholding him. The Rishi, however, began to speak to them one after another and unto to Jarita also, repeatedly. But neither his sons nor Jarita spoke anything well or ill unto to him in return.'
" then said, 'Who amongst these is thy your first born, and who the next after him? And who is the third, and who the youngest? I am speaking unto to thee you woefully; why dost do thou you not reply to me? I left thee you, it is true, but I was not happy where I was.'
"Jarita then said, 'What hast have thou you to do with the eldest of these, and what with him that is next? And what with the third and what with the youngest? Go now unto to that Lapita of sweet smiles and endued with youth, unto to whom thou you didst did go of old, beholding me deficient in everything!' replied, 'As regards females, there is nothing so destructive of their happiness whether in this or the other world as a co-wife and a clandestine lover. There is nothing like these two that, inflames the fire of hostility and causes such anxiety. Even the auspicious and well-behaved Arundhati, celebrated amongst all creatures, had been jealous of the illustrious of great purity of mind and always devoted to the good of his wife. Arundhati insulted even the wise Muni amongst the (celestial) seven. In consequence of such insulting thoughts of hers, she has become a little star, like fire mixed with smoke, sometimes visible and sometimes invisible, like an omen portending no good (amongst a constellation of seven bright stars representing the seven Rishis). I look to thee you for the sake of children. I never wronged thee you, like who never wronged his wife. Thou you hast have, therefore, by thy your jealousy behaved towards me like Arundhati of old towards . Men should never trust women even if they be wives. Women, when they have become mothers, do not much mind serving their husbands.'
" continued, 'After this, all his children came forward to worship him. And he also began to speak kindly towards them all, giving them every assurance.'"
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
" said, ' then addressed his children, saying, 'I had spoken unto to for the safety of you all. The illustrious deity had assured me that he would grant my wish. At those words of , and knowing the virtuous disposition of your mother, as also the great energy that is in yourselves, I came not here earlier. Therefore, ye you sons, do not harbour in your hearts any resentment towards me. Ye you are all Rishis acquainted with the Vedas. Even knoweth knows you well.'
" continued, 'Having given such assurances unto to his sons, the Brahmana took with him his wife and sons, and leaving that region, went away to some other country.
"It was thus that the illustrious god of fierce rays, having grown in strength consumed the forest of Khandava with the help of and , for the good of the world. And having drunk several rivers of fat and marrow, became highly gratified, and showed himself to . Then , surrounded by the Maruts, descended from the firmament and addressing and said, 'Ye you have achieved a feat that a celestial even could not. Ask ye you each a boon that is not obtainable by any man. I have been gratified with you.'
" continued, 'Then asked from all his weapons. At this of great splendour, having fixed the time for giving them, said, 'When the illustrious becomes pleased with thee you, then, O son of , I will give thee you all my weapons! O prince of Kuru's race, I shall know when the time cometh comes. Even for thy your austere asceticism I will give thee you all my weapons of fire and all my Vayavya weapons, and thou you also wilt will accept them all of me.' Then asked that his friendship with might be eternal. The chief of the celestials granted unto to the intelligent the boon he desired. And having granted these boons unto to and , the lord of the Maruts, accompanied by the celestials, ascended to heaven, having also spoken to (one whose food is sacrificial butter). also, having burnt that forest with its animals and birds for five and ten days, became gratified and ceased to burn. Having eaten flesh in abundance and drunk fat and blood, he became highly gratified, and addressing and said, 'I have been gratified by you two tigers among men. At my command, ye you heroes, ye you shall be competent to go wheresoever ye you choose!' Thus addressed by the illustrious , and and the Danava also--these three,--having wandered a little at last sat themselves down on the delightful banks of a river.'"
END OF ADI PARVA
FOOTNOTES
1. These are divisions of time