(Sambhava Parva continued)
" said, 'After the birth of 's sons and also of the hundred sons of the daughter of the king of the Madras privately addressed , saying, 'O slayer of foes, I have no complaint even if thou you beest are unpropitious to me. I have, O sinless one, also no complaint that though by birth I am superior to yet I am inferior to her in station. I do not grieve, O thou you of Kuru's race, that hath has obtained a hundred sons. This, however, is my great grief that while and I are equal, I should be childless, while it should so chance that thou you shouldst should have offspring by alone. If the daughter of should so provide that I should have offspring, she would then be really doing me a great favour and benefiting thee you likewise. She being my rival, I feel a delicacy in soliciting any favour of her. If thou you beest are, O king, propitiously disposed to me, then ask her to grant my desire.'
"Hearing her, replied, 'O , I do revolve this matter often in my own mind, but I have hitherto hesitated to tell thee you anything, not knowing how thou you wouldst would receive it. Now that I know what your wishes are, I shall certainly strive after that end. I think that, asked by me, will not refuse.'
" continued, 'After this, addressed in private, saying, 'O , grant me some more offspring for the expansion of my race and for the benefit of the world. O blessed one, provide thou you that I myself, my ancestors, and thine yours also, may always have the funeral cake offered to us. O, do what is beneficial to me, and grant me and the world what, indeed, is the best of benefits. O, do what, indeed, may be difficult for thee you, moved by the desire of achieving undying fame. Behold, , even though he hath has obtained the sovereignty of the celestials, doth does yet, for fame alone, perform sacrifices. O handsome one, Brahmanas, well-acquainted with the Vedas, and having achieved high ascetic merit, do yet, for fame alone, approach their spiritual masters with reverence. So also all royal sages and Brahmanas possessed of ascetic wealth have achieved, for fame only, the most difficult of ascetic feat. Therefore, O blameless one, rescue this as by a raft (by granting her the means of obtaining offspring), and achieve thou you imperishable fame by making her a mother of children.'
"Thus addressed by her lord, readily yielded, and said unto to , 'Think thou you, without loss of time, of some celestial, and thou you shall certainly obtain from him a child like unto to him.' Reflecting for a few moments. thought of the twin Aswins, who coming unto to her with speed begat upon her two sons that were twins named and , unrivalled on earth for personal beauty. And as soon as they were born, an incorporeal voice said, 'In energy and beauty these twins shall transcend even the twin Aswins themselves.' Indeed possessed of great energy and beauty, they illumined the whole region.
"O king, after all the children were born the Rishis dwelling on the mountain of a hundred peaks uttering blessings on them and affectionately performing the first rites of birth, bestowed appellations on them. The eldest of 's children was called , the second , and the third , and of 's sons, the first-born of the twins was called and the next . And those foremost sons born at an interval of one year after one another, looked like an embodied period of five years. And king , beholding his children of celestial beauty and of super-abundant energy, great strength and prowess, and of largeness of soul, rejoiced exceedingly. And the children became great favourites of the Rishis, as also of their wives, dwelling on the mountain of a hundred peaks.
"Some time after, again requested on behalf of . Addressed, O king, by her lord in private, replied, 'Having given her the formula of invocation only once, she hath has, O king, managed to obtain two sons. Have I not been thus deceived by her, I fear, O king, that she will soon surpass me in the number of her children. This, indeed, is the way of all wicked women. Fool that I was, I did not know that by invoking the twin gods I could obtain at one birth twin children. I beseech thee you, O king, do not command me any further. Let this be the boon granted (by thee you) to me.'
"Thus, O king, were born unto to five sons who were begotten by celestials and were endued with great strength, and who all lived to achieve great fame and expand the Kuru race. Each bearing every auspicious mark on his person, handsome like , proud as the lion, well-skilled in the use of the bow, and of leonine tread, breast, heart, eyes, neck and prowess, those foremost of men, resembling the celestials themselves in might, began to grow up. And beholding them and their virtues growing with years, the great Rishis dwelling on that snowcapped sacred mountain were filled with wonder. And the five Pandavas and the hundred sons of --that propagator of the Kuru race--grew up rapidly like a cluster of lotuses in a lake.'"
(Sambhava Parva continued)
" said, "Beholding his five handsome sons growing up before him in that great forest on the charming mountain slope, felt the last might of his arms revive once more. One day in the season of spring which maddens every creature the king accompanied by his wife (), began to rove in the woods where every tree had put forth new blossoms. He beheld all around Palasas and Tilakas and Mangoes and Champakas and Parihadrakas and Karnikaras, Asokas and Kesaras and Atimuktas and Kuruvakas with swarms of maddened bees sweetly humming about. And there were flowers of blossoming Parijatas with the Kokilas pouring forth their melodies from under every twig echoing with the sweet hums of the black bees. And he beheld also various other kinds of trees bent down with the weight of their flowers and fruits. And there were also many fine pools of water overgrown with hundreds of fragrant lotuses. Beholding all these, felt the soft influence of desire. Roving like a celestial with a light heart amidst such scenery, was alone with his wife in semi-transparent attire. And beholding the youthful thus attired, the king's desire flamed up like a forest-fire. And ill-able to suppress his desire thus kindled at the sight of his wife of eyes like lotus-petals, he was completely overpowered. The king then seized her against her will, but trembling in fear resisted him to the best of her might. Consumed by desire, he forgot everything about his misfortune. And, O thou you of Kuru's race unrestrained by the fear of (the Rishi's) curse and impelled by fate, the monarch, overpowered by passion, forcibly sought the embraces of , as if he wished to put an end to his own life. His reason, thus beguiled by the great Destroyer himself by intoxicating his senses, was itself lost with his life. And the Kuru king , of virtuous soul, thus succumbed to the inevitable influence of Time, while united in intercourse with his wife.
"Then , clasping the body of her senseless lord, began to weep aloud. And with her sons and the twins of , hearing those cries of grief, came to the spot where the king lay in that state. Then, O king, addressing in a piteous voice, said, 'Come hither here alone, O , and let the children stay there.' Hearing these words, , bidding the children stay, ran with speed, exclaiming, 'Woe to me!' And beholding both and lying prostrate on the ground she went in grief and affliction, saying, 'Of passions under complete control, this hero, O , had all along been watched by me with care. How did he then forgetting the Rishi's curse, approach thee you with enkindled desire? O , this foremost of men should have been protected by thee you. Why didst did thou you tempt him into solitude? Always melancholy at the thought of the Rishi's curse, how came he to be merry with thee you in solitude? O princess of Valhika, more fortunate than myself, thou you art really to be envied, for thou you hast have seen the face of our lord suffused with gladness and joy.'
" then replied, saying, 'Revered sister, with tears in my eyes, I resisted the king, but he could not control himself, bent on, as it were making the Rishi's curse true.'
" then said, 'I am the older of his wedded wives; the chief religious merit must be mine. Therefore, O , prevent me not from achieving that which must be achieved. I must follow our lord to the region of the dead. Rise up, O , and yield me his body. Rear thou you these children.' replied, saying, 'I do clasp our lord yet, and have not allowed him to depart; therefore, I shall follow him. My appetite hath has not been appeased. Thou you art my older sister, O let me have thy your sanction. This foremost one of the Bharata princes had approached me, desiring to have intercourse. His appetite unsatiated, shall I not follow him in the region of to gratify him? O revered one, if I survive thee you, it is certain I shall not be able to rear thy your children as if they were mine. Will not sin touch me on that account? But, thou you, O , shall be able to bring my sons up as if they were thine yours. The king, in seeking me wishfully, hath has gone to the region of spirits; therefore, my body should be burnt with his. O revered sister, withhold not thy your sanction to this which is agreeable to me. Thou you wilt will certainly bring up the children carefully. That indeed, would be very agreeable to me. I have no other direction to give!'
" continued, 'Having said this, the daughter of the king of Madras, the wedded wife of , ascended the funeral pyre of her lord, that bull among men.'"