The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 104

Section CIV. ( *Sambhava Parva continued*. ) "Bhisma continued, 'In olden days, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, in anger at the death of his father, slew with his battle-axe the king of the Haihayas. And Rama by cutting off the thousand arms of Arjuna (the Haihaya king) achieved a most difficult feat in the world. Not content with this, he set out on his chariot for the conquest of the world, and taking up his bow he cast around his mighty weapons to exterminate the Kshatrias. And the illustrious scion of the Bhrigu race, by means of his swift arrows exterminated the Kshatria tribe for one and twenty times. "'And when the Earth was thus deprived of Kshatrias by that great Rishi, the Kshatria ladies all over the land raised up offspring by means of Brahmanas skilled in the Vedas. It has been said in the Vedas that the son so raised belongeth to him that had married the mother. And the Kshatria ladies went unto the Brahmanas not lustfully but from motives of virtue. Indeed, it was thus, that the Kshatria race was revived. "'In this conection there is another old history that I will recite to you. There was in olden days a wise Rishi of name Utathya. He had a wife of name Mamatã whom he dearly loved. One day, Utathya's younger brother, Vrihaspati, the *Purohita* of the celestials and endued with great energy, approached Mamatā. The latter, however, told her husband's younger brother—that first of eloquent men—that she had conceived from her connection with his elder brother and that therefore he should not seek then for the consummation of his wishes. She continued,—O thou illustrious Vrihaspati, the child that I have conceived, hath studied in his mother's womb the Vedas with the six *Angas. Semen tuum frustra perdi non potest*. How shall then this womb of mine afford room for two children at the same time? Therefore it behoveth thee not to seek for the consummation of thy desire at such a time.—Thus addressed by her, Vrihaspati though possessed of great wisdom succeeded not in suppressing his desire. *Quum autem jam jam cum illá coiturus esset*, the child in the womb then addressed him and said,—O father, cease in thy attempt! There is not space here for two. O thou illustrious one, the room is small. I have occupied it before. *Semen tuum perdi non potest*. It behoveth thee not to afflict me!—But Vrihaspati without listening to what that child in the womb said, sought the embraces of Mamatā possessing the most beautiful pair of eyes. *Ille tamen Muni*, *qui in ventre erat*, *id punctum temporis quo humor vitalis jam emissum iret providens*, *viam per quam semen intrare posset pedibus obstruxit. Semen*, *ita exlusum*, *excidit et in terram projectum est*. And the illustrious Vrihaspati beholding this became indignant, and reproaching Utathya's child cursed him, saying,—Because thou hast spoken to me in the way thou hast, at a time of pleasure that is sought after by all creatures, perpetual darkness shall overtake thee.—And from this curse of the illustrious Vrihaspati, Utathya's child who was equal unto Vrihaspati in energy, was born blind and came to be called *Dirghatama* (enveloped in perpetual darkness.) And the wise Dirghatama possessing a knowledge of the Vedas, though born blind, succeeded yet, for the sake of his learning, in obtaining for wife a young and handsome Brahmini maiden of name Pradweshi. And having married her, the illustrious Dirghatama, for the expansion of Utathya's race, begat upon her several children with Gautama as their eldest. These children, however, were all wedded to covetousness and folly. The virtuous and illustrious Dirghatama possessing complete mastery over the Vedas, soon after learnt from Suravi's son the practices of their order and fearlessly betook to those practices regarding them with reverence. (For shame is the creature of sin and can never be where there is purity of intention.) Then those best of Munis that dwelt in the same asylum, beholding him transgressing the limits of propriety, became indignant, seeing sin where sin was not. And they said,—Oh, this man transgresseth the limits of propriety. No longer doth he deserve a place amongst us. Therefore shall we all cast off this sinful wretch. And they said many other things regarding the Muni Dirghatama. And his wife too, having obtained children, became indignant with him. "'The husband then, addressing his wife Pradweshi, said,—Why is it that thou also hast been dissatisfied with me?—His wife answered,—The husband is called the *Varta* because he supporteth the wife. He is called *Pati* because he protecteth her. But thou art neither to me! O thou of great ascetic merit, on the other hand, as thou hast been blind from birth, I it is who have supported thee and thy children. I shall not do so in future.— "'Hearing these words of his wife, the Rishi became indignant and said unto his wife with her children,—Take me unto the Kshatrias and thou shalt then be rich?—His wife replied by saying,—I desire not wealth that may be procured by thee, for that can never bring me happiness! O thou best of Brahmanas, do as thou likest. I shall not be able to maintain thee as before.—At these words of his wife, Dirghatama said,—I establish from this day the rule that every woman shall have to adhere to one husband for her life. If the husband be dead or alive, it shall not be lawful for a woman to have connection with another. And she who may have such connection shall certainly be regarded as fallen. A woman without husband shall always be liable to be sinful. And even if she hath wealth she shall not be able to enjoy it truly. Calumny and evil report shall ever follow in her wake.—Hearing these words of her husband, Pradweshi became very angry, and commanded her sons, saying,—Throw him into the waters of the Ganga.—And at the command of their mother, the wicked Gautama and the other brothers, those slaves of covetousness and folly, exclaiming,—Indeed, why should we support this old man?—tied the Muni on a raft and committing him to the mercy of the stream returned home without compunction. The blind old man drifting along the stream on that raft passed through the territories of many kings. One day a king of name Vali, conversant with every duty, went into the Ganges for performing his ablutions. And as the monarch was thus engaged, the raft on which the Rishi was, approached him. And as it came, the king took up the old man. The virtuous Vali, ever devoted to truth, then learning who the man was that was thus saved by him, chose him for raising up offspring. And Vali said,—O thou illustrious one, it behoveth thee to raise in my wife a few sons that shall be virtuous and wise.—Thus addressed, the Rishi endued with great energy expressed his willingness. Thereupon king Vali sent bis wife Sudeshna unto the Rishi. But the queen knowing that the latter was blind and old went not unto him. Instead, she sent unto him her nurse. And upon that Sudra woman the virtuous Rishi of passions under full control begat eleven children of whom Kakshivan was the eldest. And beholding those eleven sons with Kskshivan as the eldest, who had studied all the Vedas and who like Rishis were utterers of Brahma and possessed of great power, king Vali one day asked the Rishi, saying,—Are these children mine?—The Rishi replied,—No, they are mine. Kakshivan and others have been begotten by me upon a Sudra woman. Thy unfortunate queen Sudeshna seeing me blind and old insulted me by not coming herself but sending unto me, instead, her nurse?—The king then pacified that best of Rishis and sent unto him his queen Sudeshna. The Rishi by merely touching her person told her,—Thou shalt have five children named Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Pundra, and Sumbha, who shall be like unto Surya himself in glory. And after their names as many countries shall be known on Earth.—It is after their names that their dominions have come to be called Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Pundra, and Sumbha. "'It was thus that the line of Vali was perpetuated, in days of old, by a great Rishi. And it was thus also that many mighty bowmen and great charioteers wedded to virtue sprung in the Kshatria tribe from the seed of Brahmanas. Hearing this, O mother, do as thou likest, as regards the matter in hand.'" Thus ends the hundred and fourth Section in the Sambhava of the Adi Parva.