The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 169

Section CLXIX. *( Chaitra-ratha Parva continued. )* "The Brahmana continued, 'King Drupada (after this), distressed at heart, wandered among many asylums of Brahmanas in search of superior Brahmanas well skilled in sacrificial rites. Overwhelmed with grief and eagerly coveting children, the king always said—Oh I have no offspring surpassing all in accomplishments!—And the monarch, from great despondency, always said,—Oh fie on those children that I have and on my relatives!—And ever thinking of revenging himself on Drona, the monarch sighed incessantly. And that best of monarchs, O Bharata, even after much deliberation, saw no way of overcoming, by his Kshatriya might, the prowess and discipline and training and accomplishments of Drona. And wandering along the banks of the Jumna and the Ganges, the monarch once came upon a sacred asylum of Brahmanas. There was in that asylum no Brahaman who was not a *Snataka*, no one who was not of rigid vows, and none who was not virtuous in a high degree. And the king saw there two Brahmana sages named Yaja and Upajaya, both of rigid vows and souls under complete control and belonging to the most superior order. And they were both devoted to the study of the ancient institutes and sprung from the race of Kasyapa. And those best of Brahmanas were well able to help the king in the attainment of his object. The king then, with great assiduity and singleness of purpose began to court this part of excellent Brahmanas. And ascertaining the superior accomplishments of the younger of the two, the king courted in private Upayaja of rigid vows, by the offer of every desirable acquisition. Employed in paying homage to the feet of Upayaja, always speaking sweet words and offering every object that is desired by men, Drupada, after worshipping that Brahmana, addressed him (one day), saying,—O Upayaja, O Brahmana, if thou performest those sacrificial rites by (virtue of which I may obtain a son who may slay Drona, I promise thee ten thousand kine! Or whatever else may be agreeable to thee, O first of Brahmanas, truly am I ready to bestow on thee!—Thus addressed by the king, the Rishi replied, saying,—I cannot (perform any such rites).—But Drupada without accepting this reply as final once more began to serve and pay homage unto that Brahmana. Then, after the expiration of a year, Upayaja that first of Brahmanas, O monarch, addressing Drupada in sweet tones, sail,―My elder brother (Yaja) one day in wandering through the deep woods took up a fruit that had fallen upon a spot the purity of which he cared not to enquire. I was following him (at the time) and observed this unworthy act of his. Indeed, he entertains no scruples in accepting things impure. In accepting that (particular) fruit he saw not any impropriety of a sinful nature. Indeed, he who observeth not purity (in one instance) is not very likely to observe it in other instances. When he lived in the hosuse of his preceptor, employed in studying the institutes, he always used to eat the (impure) remains of other people's feasts. He always speaks approvingly of food and entertains no abomination for anything. Arguing from these, I believe that my brother coveteth earthly acquisitions. Therefore, O king, go to him; he will perform spiritual offices for thee!—Hearing these words of Upayaja, king Drupada though entertaining a low opinion of Yaja nevertheless went to his abode. And worshipping Yaja who was (still) worthy of homage, Drupada said unto him,—O master, perform thou spiritual offices for me! I give thee eighty thousand kine! Enmity for Drona burneth my heart! It behoveth thee to cool that heart of mine! Foremost of those conversant with the Vedas, Drona is also skilled in the *Brahma* weapon. For this, Drona hath overcome me in a contest arising from (impaired) friendship. Gifted with great intelligence, the son of Bharadwaja is (now) the chief pre- ceptor of the Kurus. There is no Kshatriya in this world superior to him. His bow is full six cubits long and looks very grand. And his shafts are capable of slaying every living being. That great bowman—the high-souled son of Bharadwaja—habited as a Brahmana is destroying the Kshatriya might all over the earth. Indeed, he is like a second Jamadagnya intended for the extermination of the Kshatriya race. There is no man on earth who can overcome the terrible force of his weapons. Like a blazing fire fed with clarified butter, Drona possesseth Brahma might, and uniting it with Kshatriya might he consumeth every antagonist in war. But (thy) Brahma force is greater in itself than (Drona's) Brahma force united with Kshtriya might. Therefore, inferior as I am (to Drona) in consequence of my possession of Kshatriya might alone, I solicit the aid of thy Brahma force having obtained thee so superior to Drona in knowledge of Brahma. O Yaja, perform thou that sacrifice by means of which I may obtain a son invincible in war and capable of slaying Drona! Ready am I to give thee ten thousand kine!—Hearing these words of Drupada, Yaja said,—So be it—And Yaja then began to recollect the various ceremonies appertaining to the particular sacrifice. And knowing the affair to be a very grave one, he asked the assistance of Upayaja who coveted nothing. Then Yaja promised to perform the sacrifice for the destruction of Drona. Then that great ascetic Upayaja spoke unto king Drupada of everything required for the grand sacrifice (by aid of fire) from which the king was to obtain offspring. And he said,—O king, a child shall be born unto thee, endued, as thou desirest, with great prowess, great energy, and great strength!—' "The Brahmana continued, 'Then king Drupada, impelled by the desire of obtaining a son who was to slay Drona, began, for the success of his wish, to make the necessary preparations. (And when everything was complete) Yaya, after having poured libations of clarified butter into the sacrificial fire, commanded Drupada's queen, saying,—Come hither, O queen, O daughter-in-law of Prishata! A son and daughter have arrived for thee!—Hearing this, the queen said,—O Brahmana, my mouth is yet filled with saffron and other perfumed things. My body also beareth many sweet scents. I am not fit for accepting the (sanctified butter which is to give me) offspring. Wait for me a little, O Yaja! Wait for that happy consummation!—Yaja, however, replied,—O lady, whether thou comest or waitest, why should not the object of this sacrifice be accomplished, when the oblation hath already been prepared by me and sanctified by Upayaja's invocations!—' "The Brahmana continued, 'Having said this, Yaja poured the sanctified libation into the fire, whereupon arose from those flames a child resembling a celestial. Possessing the effulgence of fire, he was terrible to behold. With a crown on his head and his body encased in excellent armour, sword in hand and bearing a bow and arrows, he frequently sent forth loud roars. And immediately after his birth he ascended an excellent chariot and went about on it for sometime. Then the Panchalas in great joy shouted *excellent*, *excellent.* The very earth seemed at the time unable to bear the weight of the Panchalas mad with joy. Then, O marvellous to say, the voice of some invisible spirit in the skies said,—*This prince hath been born for the desrtuction of Drona. He will dispell all the fears of the Panchalas and spread their fame. He will also dispell the sorrows of the king.*—And there arose, after this, from the centre of the sacrificial platform, a daughter also, called Panchāli. Blest with great good fortune she was exceedingly handsome. Her eyes were black and large as lotus leaves, her complexion was dark, and her locks were blue and curly. Her nails were beautifully convex and bright as burnished copper, her eye-brows were fair, and her bosom was deep. Indeed, she resembled a veritable daughter of the celestials born among men. Her body emitted a fragrance as that of a blue lotus, perceivable from a distance of full two miles. Her beauty was such that she had no equal on earth. Like a celestial herself, she could be desired [in marriage] by a celestial, a Danava, or a Yaksha. And when this girl of fair hips was born, an incorporeal voice said,―This dark-complexioned girl will be the first of all women, and she will be the cause of the destruction of many Kshatriyas and this slender-waisted one will, in time, accomplish the purposes of the gods. And from her many dangers will overtake the Kauravas.—Hearing these words the Panchalas uttered a loud roar as that of the lion. And the earth was unable to bear the weight of that joyous concourse. Then beholding the boy and the girl; the daughter-in-law of Prishata, desiring to have them, approached Yaja and said,—Let not these know any one else except myself as their mother.—Yaja, desiring to do good unto the king said,—So be it.—Then the Brahmanas (present there), their expectations fully gratified; bestowed names upon the new born pair.—Let this son of king Drupada,—they said,—be called *Dhrista-dyumna* because of his excessive audacity and because he hath been born like *Dyumna* with a natural mail and weapons.—And they also said—Because this daughter is so dark in complexion, she should be called *Krishnā* (the dark),'— "The Brahmana continued, thus were born those twins in the great sacrifice of Drupada. And the great Drona bringing the Panchala prince into his own abode taught him all weapons in requital of half the kingdom he had formerly taken from Drupada. The high-souled son of Bharadwaja, regarding destiny to be inevitable, did what would perpetuate his own great deeds.'" Thus ends the hundred and sixy-ninth Section in the Chaitra-ratha of the Adi Parva.