(Sambhava Parva continued)
", continued, 'Listen, O mother, to me as I indicate the means by which the Bharata line may be perpetuated. Let an accomplished Brahmana be invited by an offer of wealth, and let him raise offspring upon the wives of .'
" continued, ', then, smiling softly and in voice broken in bashfulness, addressed saying, 'O Bharata of mighty arms, what thou you sayest say is true. From my confidence in thee you I shall now indicate the means of perpetuating our line. Thou you shall not be able to reject it, being conversant, as thou you art, with the practices permitted in seasons of distress. In our race, thou you art Virtue, and thou you art Truth, and thou you art, too, our sole refuge. Therefore hearing what I say truly, do what may be proper.
"My father was a virtuous man. For virtue's sake he had kept a (ferry) boat. One day, in the prime of my youth, I went to ply that boat. It so happened that the great and wise Rishi , that foremost of all virtuous men, came, and betook himself to my boat for crossing the Yamuna. As I was rowing him across the river, the Rishi became excited with desire and began to address me in soft words. The fear of my father was uppermost in my mind. But the terror of the Rishi's curse at last prevailed. And having obtained from him a precious boon, I could not refuse his solicitations. The Rishi by his energy brought me under his complete control, and gratified his desire then and there, having first enveloped the region in a thick fog. Before this there was a revolting fishy odour in my body; but the Rishi dispelled it and gave me my present fragrance. The Rishi also told me that by bringing forth his child in an island of the river, I would still continue (to be) a virgin. And the child of so born of me in my maidenhood hath has become a great Rishi endued with large ascetic powers and known by the name of (the island-born). That illustrious Rishi having by his ascetic power divided the Vedas into four parts hath has come to be called on earth by the name of (the divider or arranger), and for his dark colour, (the dark). Truthful in speech, free from passion, a mighty ascetic who hath has burnt all his sins, he went away with his father immediately after his birth. Appointed by me and thee you also, that Rishi of incomparable splendour will certainly beget good children upon the wives of thy your brother. He told me when he went away, 'Mother, think of me when thou you art in difficulty.' I will now call him up, if thou you, O of mighty arms so desirest. If thou you art willing, O , I am sure that great ascetic will beget children upon 's field.'
" continued, 'Mention being made of the great Rishi, with joined palms said, 'That man is truly intelligent who fixes his eyes judiciously on virtue, profit, and pleasure, and who after reflecting with patience, acteth acts in such a way that virtue may lead to future virtue, profit to future profit and pleasure to future pleasure. Therefore, that which hath has been said by thee you and which, besides being beneficial to us, is consistent with virtue, is certainly the best advice and hath has my full approval.' And when had said this, O thou you of Kuru's race, Kali () thought of the Muni and who was then engaged in interpreting the Vedas, learning that he was being called up by his mother, came instantly unto to her without anybody's knowing it. Satayavati then duly greeted her son and embraced him with arms, bathing him in her tears, for the daughter of the fisherman wept bitterly at the sight of her son after so long a time. And her first son, the great , beholding her weeping, washed her with cool water, and bowing unto to her, said, 'I have come, O mother, to fulfil thy your wishes. Therefore, O virtuous one, command me without delay. I shall accomplish thy your desire.' The family priest of the Bharatas then worshipped the great Rishi duly, and the latter accepted the offerings of worship, uttering the usual mantras. And gratified with the worship he received, he took his seat. , beholding him seated at his ease, after the usual inquiries, addressed him and said, 'O learned one, sons derive their birth both from the father and the mother. They are, therefore, the common property of both parents. There cannot be the least doubt about it that the mother, hath has as much power over them as the father. As thou you art, indeed, my eldest son according to the ordinance, O Brahmarshi, so is my youngest son. And as is 's brother on the father's side, so art thou you his brother on the same mother's side. I do not know what you may think, but this is what, O son, I think. This , the , devoted to truth, doth does not, for the sake, of truth, entertain the desire of either begetting children or ruling the kingdom. Therefore, from affection for thy your brother , for the perpetuation of our dynasty, for the sake of this 's request and my command, for kindness to all creatures, for the protection of the people and from the liberality of thy your heart, O sinless one, it behoveth behooves thee you to do what I say. Thy your younger brother hath has left two widows like unto to the daughters of the celestials themselves, endued with youth and great beauty. For the sake of virtue and religion, they have become desirous of offspring. Thou you art the fittest person to be appointed. Therefore beget upon them children worthy of our race and for the continuance of our line.'
", hearing this, said, 'O , thou you knowest know what virtue is both in respect of this life and the other. O thou you of great wisdom, thy your affections also are set on virtue. Therefore, at thy your command, making virtue my motive, I shall do what thou you desirest. Indeed, this practice that is conformable to the true and eternal religion is known to me, I shall give unto to my brother children that shall be like unto to Mitra and . Let the ladies then duly observe for one full year the vow I indicate. They shall then be purified. No women shall ever approach me without having observed a rigid vow.'
" then said, 'O sinless one, it must be as thou you sayest say. Take such steps that the ladies may conceive immediately. In a kingdom where there is no king, the people perish from want of protection; sacrifices and other holy acts are suspended; the clouds send no showers; and the gods disappear. How can a kingdom be protected that hath has no king? Therefore, see thou you that the ladies conceive. will watch over the children as long as they are in their mother's wombs.
" replied, 'If I am to give unto to my brother children so unseasonably, then let the ladies bear my ugliness. That in itself shall, in their case, be the austerest of penances. If the princess of Kosala can bear my strong odour, my ugly and grim visage, my attire and body, she shall then conceive an excellent child.'"
" continued, 'Having spoken thus unto to , of great energy addressed her and said, 'Let the princess of Kosala clad in clean attire and checked with ornaments wait for me in her bed-chamber.' Saying this, the Rishi disappeared, then went to her daughter-in-law and seeing her in private spoke to her these words of beneficial and virtuous import, 'O princess of Kosala, listen to what I say. It is consistent with virtue. The dynasty of the Bharatas hath has become extinct from my misfortune. Beholding my affliction and the extinction of his paternal line, the wise , impelled also by the desire of perpetuating our race, hath has made me a suggestion, which suggestion, however, for its accomplishment is dependent on thee you. Accomplish it, O daughter, and restore the lost line of the Bharatas. O thou you of fair hips, bring thou you forth a child equal in splendour unto to the chief of the celestials. He shall bear the onerous burden of this our hereditary kingdom.'
" having succeeded with great difficulty in procuring the assent of her virtuous daughter-in-law to her proposal which was not inconsistent with virtue, then fed Brahmanas and Rishis and numberless guests who arrived on die occasion.'"
(Sambhava Parva continued)
" said, 'Soon after the monthly season of the princess of Kosala had been over, , purifying her daughter-in-law with a bath, led her into the sleeping apartment. There seating her upon a luxurious bed, she addressed her, saying, 'O Princess of Kosala, thy your husband hath has an elder brother who shall this day enter thy your womb as thy your child. Wait for him tonight without dropping off to sleep.' Hearing these words of her mother-in-law, the amiable princess, as she lay on her bed, began to think of and the other elders of the Kuru race. Then the Rishi of truthful speech, who had given his promise in respect of (the eldest of the princesses) in the first instance, entered her chamber while the lamp was burning. The princess, seeing his dark visage, his matted locks of copper hue, blazing eyes, his grim beard, closed her eyes in fear. The Rishi, from desire of accomplishing his mother's wishes, however knew her. But the latter, struck with fear, opened not her eyes even once to look at him. And when came out, he was met by his mother, who asked him, 'Shall the princess have an accomplished son?' Hearing her, he replied, 'The son of the princess she will bring forth shall be equal in might unto to ten thousand elephants. He will be an illustrious royal sage, possessed of great learning and intelligence and energy. The high-souled one shall have in his time a century of sons. But from the fault of his mother he shall be blind 'At these words of her son, said, 'O thou you of ascetic wealth, how can one that is blind become a monarch worthy of the Kurus? How can one that is blind become the protector of his relatives and family, and the glory of his father's race? It behoveth behooves thee you to give another king unto to the Kurus.' Saying, 'So be it,' went away. And the first princess of Kosala in due time brought forth a blind son.
"Soon after , O chastiser of foes, summoned , after having secured the assent of her daughter-in-law. came according to his promise, and approached, as before, the second wife of his brother. And beholding the Rishi, became pale with fear And, O Bharata, beholding her so afflicted and pale with fear, addressed her and said, 'Because thou you hast have been pale with fear at the sight of my grim visage, therefore, thy your child shall be pale in complexion. O thou you of handsome face, the name also thy your child shall bear will be (the pale).' 'Saying this, the illustrious and best of Rishis came out of her chamber. And as he came out, he was met by his mother who asked him about the would-be-child. The Rishi told her that the child would be of pale complexion and known by the name of . again begged of the Rishi another child, and the Rishi told her in reply, 'So be it.' , then, when her time came, brought forth a son of pale complexion. Blazing with beauty the child was endued with all auspicious marks. Indeed, it was this child who afterwards became the father of those mighty archers, the Pandavas.
"Some time after, when the oldest of 's widows again had her monthly season, she was solicited by to approach once again. Possessed of beauty like a daughter of a celestial, the princess refused to do her mother-in-law's bidding, remembering the grim visage and strong odour of the Rishi. She, however, sent unto to him, a maid of hers, endued with the beauty of an Apsara and decked with her own ornaments. And when the arrived, the maid rose up and saluted him. And she waited upon him respectfully and took her seat near him when asked. And, O king, the great Rishi of rigid vows, was well-pleased with her, and when he rose to go away, he addressed her and said, 'Amiable one, thou you shalt shall no longer be a slave. Thy your child also shall be greatly fortunate and virtuous, and the foremost of all intelligent men on earth!' And, O king, the son thus begotten upon her by was afterwards known by the name of . He was thus the brother of and the illustrious . And was free from desire and passion and was conversant with the rules of government, and was the born on earth under the curse of the illustrious Rishi . And , when he met his mother as before, informed her as to how he had been deceived by the seniormost of the princesses and how he had begotten a son upon a Sudra woman. And having spoken thus unto to his mother the Rishi disappeared from her sight.
"Thus were born, in the field of , even of those sons of the splendour of celestial children, those propagators of the Kuru race.'"