( Parva continued)
" said, 'Hearing the respective speeches of all the snakes, and hearing also the words of , Elapatra began to address them, saying, 'That sacrifice is not one that can be prevented. Nor is king of the Pandava race from whom this fear proceedeth proceeds, such that he can be hindered. The person, O king, who is afflicted by fate hath has recourse to fate alone; nothing else can be his refuge. Ye you best of snakes, this fear of ours hath has fate for its root. Fate alone must be our refuge in this. Listen to what I say. When that curse was uttered, ye you best of snakes, in fear I lay crouching on the lap of our mother. Ye you best of snakes, and O lord () of great splendour, from that place I heard the words the sorrowing gods spake spoke unto to the . The gods said, 'O , thou you god of gods who else than the cruel could thus, after getting such dear children, curse them so, even in thy your presence? And, O , by thee you also hath has been spoken, with reference to those words of hers, 'Be it so.' We wish to know the reason why thou you didst did not prevent her.' Brahman replied, 'The snakes have multiplied. They are cruel, terrible in form and highly poisonous. From desire of the good of my creatures, I did not prevent then. Those poisonous serpents and others who are sinful, biting others for no faults, shall, indeed, be destroyed, but not they who are harmless and virtuous. And hear also, how, when the hour comes, the snakes may escape this dreadful calamity. There shall be born in the race of the Yayavaras a great Rishi known by the name of , intelligent, with passions under complete control. That shall have a son of the name of . He shall put a stop to that sacrifice. And those snakes who shall be virtuous shall escape therefrom. The gods said, 'O thou you truth-knowing one, on whom will , that foremost Muni, gifted with great energy and asceticism, beget that illustrious son?' answered, 'Gifted with great energy, that best Brahmana shall beget a son possessed of great energy on a wife of the same name as his. , the king of the snakes, hath has a sister of the name of ; the son, of whom I speak, shall be born of her, and he shall liberate the snakes.'
"Elapatra continued, 'The gods then said unto to the , 'Be it so.' And the lord Brahman, having said so unto to the gods, went to heaven. O , I see before me that sister of thine yours known by the name of . For relieving us from fear, give her as alms unto to him (i.e., the Rishi), , of excellent vows, who shall roam abegging for a bride. This means of release hath has been heard of by me!'"
( Parva continued)
" said, 'O best of regenerate ones, hearing these words of Elapatra, all the serpents, in great delight, exclaimed, 'Well said, well said!' And from that time set about carefully bringing up that maiden, viz., his sister . And he took great delight in rearing her.
"And much time did not elapse from this, when the gods and the Asuras, assembling together, churned the abode of . And , the foremost of all gifted with strength, became the churning-cord. And directly the work was over, the king of the snakes presented himself before the . And the gods, accompanied by , addressed the , saying, 'O lord, is suffering great affliction from fear of (his mother's curse). It behoveth behooves thee you to root out the sorrow, begotten of the curse of his mother, that hath has pierced the heart of desirous of the weal of his race. The king of the snakes is ever our friend and benefactor. O Lord of the gods, be gracious unto to him and assuage his mind's fever.'
"Brahman replied, 'O ye you immortals, I have thought, in my mind, of what ye you have said. Let the king of the snakes do that which hath has been communicated to him before by Elapatra. The time hath has arrived. Those only shall be destroyed that are wicked, not those that are virtuous. hath has been born, and that Brahmana is engaged in hard ascetic penances. Let , at the proper time, bestow on him his sister. Ye you gods, what hath has been spoken by the snake Elapatra for the weal of the snakes is true and not otherwise.'
" continued, 'Then the king of the snakes, , afflicted with the curse of his mother, hearing these words of the , and intending to bestow his sister of the Rishi , commanded all the serpents, a large numbers of whom were ever attentive to their duties, to watch the Rishi , saying, 'When the lord will ask for a wife, come immediately and inform me of it. The weal of our race depends upon it.'"
( Parva continued)
" said, 'O son of Suta, I desire to know the reason why the illustrious Rishi whom thou you hast have named came to be so called on earth. It behoveth behooves thee you to tell us the etymology of the name .'
" said, 'Jara is said to mean waste, and Karu implies huge. This Rishi's body had been huge, and he gradually reduced it by severe ascetic penances. For the same reason, O Brahmanas, the sister of was called .'
The virtuous , when he heard this, smiled and addressing said, 'It is even so.'
then said, 'I have heard all that thou you hast have before recited. I desire to know how was born.'
, on hearing these words, began to relate according to what was written in the Sastras.
" said, ', desirous of bestowing his sister upon the Rishi , gave the snakes (necessary) orders. But days went on, yet that wise Muni of rigid vows, deeply engaged in ascetic devotions, did not seek for a wife. That high-souled Rishi, engaged in studies and deeply devoted to asceticism, his vital seed under full control, fearlessly wandered over the whole earth and had no wish for a wife.
"Afterwards, once upon a time, there was a king, O Brahmana, of the name of , born in the race of the Kauravas. And, like his great-grandfather of old, he was of mighty arms, the first of all bearers of bows in battle, and fond of hunting. And the monarch wandered about, hunting deer, and wild boars, and wolves, and buffaloes and various other kinds of wild animals. One day, having pierced a deer with a sharp arrow and slung his bow on his back, he penetrated into the deep forest, searching for the animal here and there, like the illustrious himself of old pursuing in the heavens, bow in hand, the deer which was Sacrifice, itself turned into that shape, after the piercing. No deer that was pierced by had ever escaped in the wood with life. This deer, however wounded as before, fled with speed, as the (proximate) cause of the king's attainment to heaven. And the deer that --that king of men--had pierced was lost to his gaze and drew the monarch far away into the forest. And fatigued and thirsty, he came across a Muni, in the forest, seated in a cow-pen and drinking to his fill the froth oozing out of the mouths of calves sucking the milk of their dams. And approaching him hastily, the monarch, hungry and fatigued, and raising his bow, asked that Muni of rigid vows, saying, 'O Brahmana, I am king , the son of . A deer pierced by me hath has been lost. Hast have thou you seen it?' But that Muni observing then the vow of silence, spoke not unto to him a word. And the king in anger thereupon then placed upon his shoulder a dead snake, taking it up with the end of his bow. The Muni suffered him to do it without protest. And he spoke not a word, good or bad. And the king seeing him in that state, cast off his anger and became sorry. And he returned to his capital but the Rishi continued in the same state. The forgiving Muni, knowing that the monarch who was a tiger amongst kings was true to the duties of his order, cursed him not, though insulted. That tiger amongst monarchs, that foremost one of Bharata's race, also did not know that the person whom he had so insulted was a virtuous Rishi. It was for this that he had so insulted him.
"That Rishi had a son by name , of tender years, gifted with great energy, deep in ascetic penances, severe in his vows, very wrathful, and difficult to be appeased. At times, he worshipped with great attention and respect his preceptor seated with ease on his seat and ever engaged in the good of creatures.
"And commanded by his preceptor, he was coming home when, O best of Brahmanas, a companion of his, a Rishi's son named Krisa in a playful mood laughingly spoke unto to him. And , wrathful and like unto to poison itself, hearing these words in reference to his father, blazed up in rage.'
"And Krisa said, 'Be not proud, O , for ascetic as thou you art and possessed of energy, thy your father bears on his shoulders a dead snake. Henceforth from now on speak not a word to sons of Rishis like ourselves who have knowledge of the truth, are deep in ascetic penances, and have attained success. Where is that manliness of thine yours, those high words of thine yours begotten of pride, when thou you must have to behold thy your father bearing a dead snake? O best of all the Munis, thy your father too had done nothing to deserve this treatment, and it is for this that I am particularly sorry as if the punishment were mine.'"
( Parva continued)
" said, 'Being thus addressed, and hearing that his sire was bearing a dead snake, the powerful burned with wrath. And looking at Krisa, and speaking softly, he asked him, 'Pray, why doth does my father bear today a dead snake?' And Krisa replied, 'Even as king was roving, for purpose of hunting, O dear one, he placed the dead snake on the shoulder of thy your sire.'
"And asked, 'What wrong was done to that wicked monarch by my father? O Krisa, tell me this, and witness the power of my asceticism.'
"And Krisa answered, 'King , the son of , while hunting, had wounded a fleet stag with an arrow and chased it alone. And the king lost sight of the animal in that extensive wilderness. Seeing then thy your sire, he immediately accosted him. Thy your sire was then observing the vow of silence. Oppressed by hunger, thirst and labour, the prince again and again asked thy your sire sitting motionless, about the missing deer. The sage, being under the vow of silence, returned no reply. The king thereupon then placed the snake on thy your sire's shoulder with the end of his bow. O , thy your sire engaged in devotion is in the same posture still. And the king also hath has gone to his capital which is named after the elephant!'
" continued, 'Having heard of a dead snake placed upon his (father's) shoulders, the son of the Rishi, his eyes reddened with anger, blazed up with rage. And possessed by anger, the puissant Rishi then cursed the king, touching water and overcome with wrath.'
"And said, 'That sinful wretch of a monarch who hath has placed a dead snake on the shoulders of my lean and old parent, that insulter of Brahmanas and tarnisher of the fame of the Kurus, shall be taken within seven nights hence to the regions of (Death) by the snake , the powerful king of serpents, stimulated thereto by the strength of my words!'
" continued, 'And having thus cursed (the king) from anger, went to his father, and saw the sage sitting in the cow-pen, bearing the dead snake. And seeing his parent in that plight, he was again inflamed with ire. And he shed tears of grief, and addressed his sire, saying, 'Father, having been informed of this thy your disgrace at the hands of that wicked wretch, king , I have from anger even cursed him; and that worst of Kurus hath has richly deserved my potent curse. Seven days hence, , the lord of snakes, shall take the sinful king to the horrible abode of Death.' And the father said to the enraged son, 'Child, I am not pleased with thee you. Ascetics should not act thus. We live in the domains of that great king. We are protected by him righteously. In all he does, the reigning king should by the like of us forgiven. If thou you destroy Dharma, verily truly Dharma will destroy thee you. If the king do not properly protect us, we fare very ill; we cannot perform our religious rites according to our desire. But protected by righteous sovereigns, we attain immense merit, and they are entitled to a share thereof of it. Therefore, reigning royalty is by all means to be forgiven. And like unto to his great-, protecteth protects us as a king should protect his subjects. That penance-practising monarch was fatigued and oppressed with hunger. Ignorant of my vow (of silence) he did this. A kingless country always suffereth suffers from evils. The king punisheth punishes offenders, and fear of punishments conducteth conducts to peace; and people do their duties and perform their rites undisturbed. The king establisheth establishes religion--establisheth establishes the kingdom of heaven. The king protecteth protects sacrifices from disturbance, and sacrifices to please the gods. The gods cause rain, and rain produceth produces grains and herbs, which are always useful to man. sayeth says, a ruler of the destinies of men is equal (in dignity) to ten Veda-studying priests. Fatigued and oppressed with hunger, that penance-practising prince hath has done this through ignorance of my vow. Why then hast have thou you rashly done this unrighteous action through childishness? O son, in no way doth does the king deserve a curse from us.'"