The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 173

Section CLXXIII. *( Chaitra-ratha Parva continued.* ) "Arguna said, 'Thou hast addressed me (more than once) as *Tapatya.* I wish to know what the precise signification of this word is. O virtuous Gandharva, being sons of Kunti we are, indeed, *Kaunteyas.* But who is *Tapati* that we should be called *Tapätya*?'" Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the Gandharva recited to Dhananjaya the son of Kunti the (following) story celebrated in the three worlds. "The Gandharva said, 'O son of Prithā, thou foremost of all intelligent men, I will duly recite to you in full this charming narration. O listen with attention to what I say in explanation of why I have addressed thee as *Tapatya*! That one in heaven who pervadeth by his light the whole firmament had a daughter named *Tapati* equal unto himself. And Tapati the daughter of the god Vivaswan was the younger sister of Sāvitri. And she was celebrated throughout the three worlds and devoted to ascetic penances. There was no woman amongst the celestials, the Asuras, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Apsarās, and the Gandharvas, who was equal to her in beauty. Of perfectly symmetrical and faultless features, of black and large eyes, and beautiful attire, the girl was chaste and exceedingly well conducted. And, O Bharata, seeing her, Savitā (the Sun) thought that there was none in the three worlds who for his beauty, accomplishments, behaviour, and learning, deserved to be her husband. Beholding her attain to the age of puberty and, therefore, worthy of being bestowed on a husband, her father knew no peace of mind, always thinking of the person he should select. At that time, O son of Kunti, Riksha's son—that bull amongst the Kurus—the mighty king Samvarana, was duly worshipping Surya with offers of the *Arghya* and flowery garlands and scents, and with vows and fasts and ascetic penances of various kinds. Indeed, Samvarana was worshipping the Sun confest in all his glory, with devotion and humility and piety. And beholding Samvarana conversant with all rules of virtue and unequalled on earth for beauty, Surya regarded him as a fit husband for his daughter Tapati. And, O thou of the Kuru race, Vivaswan then resolved to bestow his daughter on that best of kings—Samvarna—the offspring of a race of world-wide fame. As the Sun himself in the heavens filleth the firmament with his splendour, so did king Samvarana on the earth fill every region with the splendour of his good achievements. And as utterers of Brahma worship the Sun confest in all his glory, so did, O Partha, all men except Brahmanas worship Samvarana! Blest with good luck king Samvarana excelled *Soma* in soothing the hearts of friends and the Sun in burning the hearts of his foes. And, O Kaurava, Tapana (Surya) himself resolved upon bestowing his daughter Tapati upon king Samvarana who was possessed of such virtues and accomplishments. "'Once on a time, O Partha, king Samvarana, endued with beauty of person and immeasurable prowess, went on a hunting expedition to the under-woods on the mountain breast. While wandering in quest of deer, the excellent steed the king rode, overcome, O Partha, with hunger, thirst, and fatigue, died on the mountains. Abandoning the steed, the king, O Arjuna, began to wander upon the mountain-breast on foot. And in course of his wanderings the monarch saw a maiden of large eyes and unrivalled for her beauty. And that grinder of hostile hosts—that tiger among kings—himself without a companion, beholding there that maiden without a companion, stood motionless, gazing at her steadfastly. For her beauty, the monarch for some moments believed her to be (the goddess) Sree herself. Next he regarded her to be the embodiment of the rays emanating from the Sun. In splendour of body she resembled a flame of fire, though in benignity and loveliness she resembled a spotless digit of the moon. And standing on the mountain breast the black-eyed maiden appeared like a bright statue of gold. And the mountain itself with its creepers and plants, in consequence of the beauty and attire of that damsel, seemed to be converted into gold. And the sight of that maiden inspired the monarch with a contempt for all women that he had seen before. And looking at her, the king regarded his eye-sight truly blessed. Nothing the king had seen from the day of his birth could equal, he thought, the beauty of that girl. And the king's heart and eyes were captivated by that damsel, as if they were bound in ropes, and he remained rooted to that spot, deprived of his senses. And the monarch thought that the artificer of so much beauty had created it only after churning the whole world of gods, Asuras, and human beings. Entertaining these various thoughts, king Samvarana regarded that maiden unrivalled in the three worlds for wealth of beauty. "'And the monarch of pure descent, beholding the beautiful maiden, was pierced with Kama's shafts and lost his peace of mind. And burnt by the strong flame of desire the king asked that charming maiden, still innocent though in her full youth, saying,—O thou of tapering thighs, who art thou and whose? Why also dost thou stay here? O thou of sweet smiles, why dost thou wander alone in these solitary woods? Of every feature perfectly faultless, and decked in every ornament, thou seemest to be the coveted ornament of these ornaments themselves! Thou seemest not to be of celestial or Asura or Yaksha or Rakshasa or Naga or Gandharva or human origin. O excellent lady, the best of women that I have seen or heard of, would not come up to thee in beauty. O thou of handsome face, at sight of that face of thine, lovelier than the moon and furnished with eyes like lotus-leaves, the god of desire is grinding me!— "'Thus did king Samvarana address that damsel in the forest. She, however, spoke not a word unto the monarch burning with desire. Instead, like lightning in the clouds, that large-eyed maiden quickly disappeared in the very sight of the wishful monarch. The king then wandered through the whole forest like one out of his senses in search of that girl of eyes like lotus-leaves. And failing to find her, that best of monarchs indulged in copious lamentations, and for a time stood motionless in grief.'" Thus ends the hundred and seventy-third Section in the Chaitra-ratha of the Adi Parva.