( Parva continued)
" said, 'Then the councillors beholding the king in the coils of , became pale with fear and wept in exceeding grief. And hearing the roar of , the ministers all fled. And as they were flying away in great grief, they saw , the king of snakes, that wonderful serpent, coursing through the blue sky like a streak of the hue of the lotus, and looking very much like the vermilion-coloured line on a woman's crown dividing the dark masses of her hair in the middle.
"And the mansion in which the king was living blazed up with 's poison. And the king's councillors, on beholding it, fled away in all directions. And the king himself fell down, as if struck by lightning.
"And when the king was laid low by 's poison, his councillors with the royal priest--a holy Brahmana--performed all his last rites. All the citizens, assembling together, made the minor son of the deceased monarch their king. And the people called their new king, that slayer of all enemies, that hero of the Kuru race, by the name of . And that best of monarchs, , though a child, was wise in mind. And with his councillors and priest, the eldest son Parikshita, that bull amongst the Kurus, ruled the kingdom like his heroic great-grand-father (). And the ministers of the youthful monarch, beholding that he could now keep his enemies in check, went to Suvarnavarman, the king of Kasi, and asked him his daughter Vapushtama for a bride. And the king of Kasi, after due inquiries, bestowed with ordained rites, his daughter Vapushtama on that mighty hero of Kuru race. And the latter, receiving his bride, became exceedingly glad. And he gave not his heart at any time to any other woman. And gifted with great energy, he wandered in pursuit of pleasure, with a cheerful heart, on expanses of water and amid woods and flowery fields. And that first of monarchs passed his time in pleasure as Pururavas of old did, on receiving the celestial damsel Urvasi. Herself fairest of the fair, the damsel Vapushtama too, devoted to her lord and celebrated for her beauty having gained a desirable husband, pleased him by the excess of her affection during the period he spent in the pursuit of pleasure.'"
( Parva continued)
"Meanwhile the great ascetic wandered over the whole earth making the place where evening fell his home for the night. And gifted with ascetic power, he roamed, practising various vows difficult to be practised by the immature, and bathing also in various sacred waters. And the Muni had air alone for his food and was free from desire of worldly enjoyment. And he became daily emaciated and grew lean-fleshed. And one day he saw the spirits of his ancestors, heads down, in a hole, by a cord of virana roots having only one thread entire. And that even single thread was being gradually eaten away by a large rat dwelling in that hole. And the Pitris in that hole were without food, emaciated, pitiable, and eagerly desirous of salvation. And , approaching the pitiable one, himself in humble guise, asked them, 'Who are ye you hanging by this cord of virana roots? The single weak root that is still left in this cord of virana roots already eaten away by the rat, dwelling in this hole, is itself being gradually eaten away by the same rat with his sharp teeth. The little that remains of that single thread will soon be cut away. It is clear ye you shall then have to fall down into this pit with faces downwards. Seeing you with faces downwards, and overtaken by this great calamity, my pity hath has been excited. What good can I do to you. Tell me quickly whether this calamity can be averted by a fourth, a third, or even by the sacrifice of a half of this my asceticism, O, relieve yourselves even with the whole of my asceticism. I consent to all this. Do ye you as ye you please.'
"The Pitris said, 'Venerable Brahmacharin, thou you desirest to relieve us. But, O foremost of Brahmanas, thou you canst can not dispel our affliction by thy your asceticism. O child, O first of speakers, we too have the fruits of our asceticism. But, O Brahmana, it is for the loss of children that we are falling down into this unholy hell. The himself hath has said that a son is a great merit. As we are about to be cast in this hole, our ideas are no longer clear. Therefore, O child, we know thee you not, although thy your manhood is well-known on earth. Venerable thou you art and of good fortune, thou you who thus from kindness grievest grieve for us worthy of pity and greatly afflicted. O Brahmana, listen, who we are. We are Rishis of the Yayavara sect, of rigid vows. And, O Muni, from loss of children, we have fallen down from a sacred region. Our severe penances have not been destroyed; we have a thread yet. But we have only one thread now. It matters little, however, whether he is or is not. Unfortunate as we are, we have a thread in one, known as . The unfortunate one has gone through the Vedas and their branches and is practising asceticism alone. He being one with soul under complete control, desires set high, observant of vows, deeply engaged in ascetic penances, and free from greed for the merits or asceticism, we have been reduced to this deplorable state. He hath has no wife, no son, no relatives. Therefore, do we hang in this hole, our consciousness lost, like men having none to take care of them. If thou you meetest meet him, O, tell him, from thy your kindness to ourselves, Thy your Pitris, in sorrow, are hanging with faces downwards in a hole. Holy one, take a wife and beget children. O thou you of ascetic wealth, thou you art, O amiable one, the only thread that remaineth remains in the line of thy your ancestors. O Brahmana, the cord of virana roots that thou you seest see we are hanging by, is the cord representing our multiplied race. And, O Brahmana, these threads of the cord of virana roots that thou you seest see as eaten away, are ourselves who have been eaten up by Time. This root thou you seest see hath has been half-eaten and by which we are hanging in this hole is he that hath has adopted asceticism alone. The rat that thou you beholdest behold is Time of infinite strength. And he (Time) is gradually weakening the wretch engaged in ascetic penances tempted by the merits thereof of it, but wanting in prudence and heart. O excellent one, his asceticism cannot save us. Behold, our roots being torn, cast down from higher regions, deprived of consciousness by Time, we are going downwards like sinful wretches. And upon our going down into this hole with all our relatives, eaten up by Time, even he shall sink with us into hell. O child, whether it is asceticism, or sacrifice, or whatever else there be of very holy acts, everything is inferior. These cannot count with a son. O child, having seen all, speak unto to that of ascetic wealth. Thou you shouldst should tell him in detail everything that thou you hast have beheld. And, O Brahmana, from thy your kindness towards us, thou you shouldst should tell him all that would induce him to take a wife and beget children. Amongst his friends, or of our own race, who art thou you, O excellent one, that thus grievest grieve for us all like a friend? We wish to hear who thou you art that stayest stay here.'"
( Parva continued)
" said. ', hearing all this, became excessively dejected. And from sorrow he spoke unto to those Pitris in words obstructed by tears.' And said, 'Ye you are even my fathers and grand-fathers gone before. Therefore, tell me what I must do for your welfare. I am that sinful son of yours, ! Punish me for my sinful deeds, a wretch that I am.'
"The Pitris replied, saying, 'O son, by good luck hast have thou you arrived at this spot in course of thy your rambles. O Brahmana, why hast have thou you not taken a wife?'
" said. 'Ye you Pitris, this desire hath has always existed in my heart that I would, with vital seed drawn up, carry this body to the other world. My mind hath has been possessed with the idea that I would not take a wife. But ye you grandsires, having seen you hanging like birds, I have diverted my mind from the Brahmacharya mode of life. I will truly do what you like. I will certainly marry, if ever I meet with a maiden of my own name. I shall accept her who, bestowing herself of her own accord, will be as aims unto to me, and whom I shall not have to maintain. I shall marry if I get such a one; otherwise, I shall not. This is the truth, ye you grandsires! And the offspring that will be begot upon her shall be your salvation. And ye you Pitris of mine, ye you shall live for ever in blessedness and without fear.'
' continued, 'The Muni, having said so unto to the Pitris, wandered over the earth again. And, O , being old, he obtained no wife. And he grieved much that he was not successful. But directed (as before) by his ancestors, he continued the search. And going into the forest, he wept loudly in great grief. And having gone into the forest, the wise one, moved by the desire of doing good to his ancestors, said, 'I will ask for a bride,' distinctly repeating these words thrice. And he said, 'Whatever creatures are here, mobile and immobile, so whoever there be that are invisible, O, hear my words! My ancestors, afflicted with grief, have directed me that am engaged in the most severe penances, saying, 'Marry thou you for (the acquisition of) a son.' 'O ye you, being directed by my ancestors, I am roaming in poverty and sorrow, over the wide world for wedding a maiden that I may obtain as alms. Let that creature, amongst those I have addressed, who hath has a daughter, bestow on me that am roaming far and near. Such a bride as is of same name with me, to be bestowed on me as alms, and whom, besides, I shall not maintain, O bestow on me!' Then those snakes that had been set upon track, ascertaining his inclination, gave information to . And the king of the snakes, hearing their words, took with him that maiden decked with ornaments, and went into the forest unto to that Rishi. And, O Brahmana, , the king of the snakes, having gone there, offered that maiden as alms unto to that high-souled Rishi. But the Rishi did not at once accept her. And the Rishi, thinking her not to be of the same name with himself, and seeing that the question of her maintenance also was unsettled, reflected for a few moments, hesitating to accept her. And then, O son of , he asked the maiden's name, and also said unto to him, 'I shall not maintain her.'"