Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts)
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Vaishampayana said, ‘On hearing the caves in the mountains resounding with many different kinds of noise and on not seeing Bhimasena, Kounteya Ajatashatru,107 Madri’s two sons, Dhoumya, Krishna,108 the brahmanas and all the well-wishers were concerned. Leaving Droupadi in Arshtishena’s care, the brave maharathas ascended up the mountain, arming themselves with weapons. Having reached the mountain’s summit, the maharathas, mighty archers, looked around and saw Bhimasena, the destroyer of enemies, and the gigantic rakshasas, dead and writhing, mighty in strength and extremely terrible, but felled by Bhimasena. The one with the mighty arms carried a club, a sword and a bow and was as radiant as Maghavan,109 after slaying all the danavas in battle. Having traversed the supreme route, the Parthas stepped over these, embraced Vrikodara and seated themselves. With those four mighty archers, the mountain’s summit looked as beautiful as heaven with the immensely fortunate lokapalas, foremost among the gods.110
‘Having seen Kubera’s abode and the felled rakshasas, the brother told his seated brother Pandava.111 “O Bhima! O brave one! Whether you performed this evil act out of bravery or delusion, it is unworthy of you, like falsehood to a hermit. Learned ones well versed in dharma say that one should not perform deeds that are against the wishes of a king. O Bhimasena! You have offended the thirty gods through your deed. O Partha! If one’s mind is attracted to evil, disregarding artha and dharma, it is certain that there will be fruits from that evil deed. If you wish to do that which pleases me, do not ever act like this again.” Kunti’s son Yudhishthira, with dharma in his soul and knowledgeable about the different aspects of artha, spoke thus to his unvanquished brother. Having stopped speaking, the immensely energetic one began to reflect on the matter.
‘Meanwhile, the rakshasas who had survived Bhimasena returned towards Kubera’s abode. Travelling at great speed, they swiftly reached Vaishravana’s abode. They wailed in terrible distress, oppressed by fear of Bhimasena. They had lost their arms and weapons. They were exhausted. Their garments were besmeared with blood. Their hair was dishevelled. O king! They told the lord of the yakshas, “O lord of riches! O god! Armed with clubs, maces, swords, javelins and lances, all the foremost warriors among the rakshasas have been killed. A man has swiftly penetrated the mountain and has single-handedly killed masses of krodhavashas112 in battle. O lord of riches! O god! The foremost among chief rakshasas and yakshas have been killed and have lost their senses and their spirits. He has taken the mountain. We are the only ones who have escaped. Your friend Maniman has also been killed. This act has been done by a single man. Now do what should be done hereafter.” Having heard this, the lord of all the masses of yakshas was enraged. His eyes became red with anger and he exclaimed, “How is that possible!” On hearing of Bhima’s second offence,113 the lord of riches and the lord of the yakshas was angered and instructed his horses to be yoked. The beautiful chariot was yoked with supreme gandharva horses that possessed all the good qualities. They were clear in the eye and were swift and strong. They were adorned with many gems. The chariot resembled a cloud and was as high as the peak of a mountain. The beautiful horses were yoked to the chariot and were ready to fly, like arrows. They were excited and neighed at each other, as if foretelling victory. The illustrious king of the yakshas114 ascended the grand chariot and the immensely radiant one departed, praised by the gods and the gandharvas. As the great-souled lord of riches left, all the yakshas accompanied him. Their eyes were red. They were golden in complexion. They were gigantic in form and immensely strong. They were armed with weapons and had girded their swords. There were one crore115 yakshas. They were brave and indomitable in spirit. They surrounded their king.
‘The Pandavas saw the lord of riches, great and pleasant to look at, approach and their body hair stood up. On seeing Pandu’s maharatha sons, great in spirit, with their bows and swords in their hands, Kubera was also delighted. With great speed, they116 alighted on the peak of the mountain like birds and stood around the lord of riches, who was at the forefront. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On seeing that he117 was delighted with the Pandavas, the yakshas and gandharvas, stood around indifferently.118 The great-souled Pandavas, Nakula, Sahadeva and Dharma’s son, who was always devoted to dharma, bowed down in obeisance before the illustrious lord of riches. The maharathas knew in their hearts that they had committed a crime. Therefore, all of them surrounded the lord of riches, hands joined in salutation. The handsome lord of riches was seated on his supreme Pushpaka,119 constructed by Vishvakarma120 and coloured along the sides. Thousands of giant yakshas and rakshasas, swift in speed and with pointed ears, seated themselves below the seated one. Hundreds of gandharvas and masses of apsaras surrounded and waited on him, like Shatakratu surrounded by the gods. With a beautiful golden garland on his head and with arrows, sword and bow in his hand, Bhimasena looked at the lord of riches. Despite being wounded by the rakshasas, Bhima felt no fear or exhaustion. Even in that state, he looked at Kubera.
‘On seeing Bhima standing there, desiring to fight and with sharp arrows, Naravahana told Dharma’s son, “O Partha! All the beings know that you have the welfare of beings in your heart. Therefore, with your relatives, live on this mountain without any fear. O Pandava! Nor should you be angry because of Bhimasena’s deed. They121 had already been killed by destiny and your brother was only the instrument. Nor should you be ashamed at this violent deed of his. The destruction of the yakshas and the rakshasas had been determined by the gods earlier. O bull among the Bharata lineage! I am not angry with Bhimasena. I am pleased. I have already satisfied myself with this deed of Bhimasena’s.” Having said this to the king,122 he spoke to Bhimasena, “O son!123 O supreme among the Kuru lineage! This will not prey on your mind. O Bhima! You have embarked on this act of violence for Krishna’s sake. You have ignored me and the gods. You have destroyed the yakshas and the rakshasas, with the strength of your own arms. But even then, I am pleased with you. O Vrikodara! You have freed me from a terrible curse. Earlier, for some reason, I was cursed by the supreme rishi Agastya, because he had been angered. Because of your deed, I have now been freed from the curse following that transgression. O descendant of the Pandava lineage! O destroyer of enemies! Since I foresaw this grief, no crime attaches to you.”
‘Yudhishthira asked, “O illustrious one! Why were you cursed by the great-souled Agastya? O god! I wish to hear about the reasons behind the curse. It seems to me extraordinary that the wise one’s anger did not instantly consume you, with all your armies and your attendants.”
‘Vaishravana replied, “O lord of men! There was a council of the gods in Kushavati. I was going there, surrounded by three hundred mahapadmas124 of terrible-looking yakshas, armed with various weapons. While going there, I saw the supreme rishi Agastya, practising terrible austerities on the banks of the Yamuna. The place was full of masses of birds and adorned with blossoming trees. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On seeing him standing there with his arms raised and facing the sun, a mass of energy and as radiant as a blazing fire that has been kindled well, my handsome friend Maniman, the lord of the rakshasas, was overcome by stupidity, ignorance, insolence and delusion. From the sky, he spat on the maharshi’s head. He125 was angered and as though burning up the directions, said, ‘O lord of riches! Because this evil-minded one has insulted me and because he has injured me while you have looked on, this friend of yours, with all these armies, will meet their deaths at the hands of a human. O one with evil intelligence! You will also grieve, together with these armies. But you will be freed from your sin when you encounter that human. However, this terrible curse will not touch the powerful sons and grandsons of these armies. Go now. They will follow your orders.’ This was the curse that I had earlier received from the supreme of rishis. O great king! Your brother Bhima has freed me from that.”’
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‘Vaishravana said, “O Yudhishthira! Perseverance, steadfastness, place, time and valour—these are the five principles tha
t determine results in this world. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! In krita yuga, men persevered and were skilled in their respective tasks and were well versed in the principles of valour. O best of kshatriyas! A kshatriya who has perseverance, knows the place and the time and the principle of all dharma, rules the earth. O Partha! O brave one! A man who acts in this fashion in all his deeds, obtains fame in this world and a good end after death. Shakra, the destroyer of Vritra, together with the Vasus, exhibited his valour at the right place and time and obtained the kingdom of heaven. The one who is evil in his soul and evil in his intelligence pursues evil alone. Not knowing the results of his actions, he is destroyed now, and after death. The stupid one who does not know the time and the difference between different types of deeds, is destroyed now, and after death, and his efforts are in vain. Violent, deceitful and evil-minded ones decide to commit sin, covetous of obtaining everything. O bull among the Bharata lineage! This Bhimasena is fearless. He does not know dharma. He is prone to violence. He is childish in intelligence. He is intolerant. Therefore, instruct him.
‘“When you have returned to rajarshi Arshtishena’s hermitage, for the first lunar fortnight,126 dwell there without any fear. O Indra among men! O mighty-armed one! The gandharvas, the yakshas, the rakshasas, the inhabitants of Alaka127 and all the denizens of the mountain will protect you, and the supreme among brahmanas, on my orders. O king! O supreme among those who uphold dharma! This Vrikodara has been committing violent acts on this mountain. Restrain him. O Indra among kings! From now on, all the inhabitants of the forest will look after you, serve you and always protect you. O bull among men! My attendants will serve you with a lot of tasty food and drink. O son!128 O Yudhishthira! Just as Jishnu is under Mahendra’s protection, Vrikodara under Vayu’s, you under Dharma’s, since you are his own son obtained through yoga, and the twins under the Ashvins, each son being respectively protected, from now on, you will be under my protection too. Phalguna, knowledgeable in all aspects of artha and well versed in all aspects of dharma, immediately younger to Bhimasena, has become skilled in heaven. O son! Right from his birth, every superior trait, perceived to lead to the attainment of the supreme of worlds, has been vested in Dhananjaya. Self-control, generosity, strength, intelligence, humility, perseverance and supreme energy—all of these are present in the great-spirited one, whose energy is infinite. O Pandava! Jishnu never commits a reprehensible act. Nor do men recount any falsehoods having been uttered by Partha. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! That extender of deeds of the Kuru lineage has been learning the art of weapons in Shakra’s abode, honoured by the gods, the ancestors and the gandharvas. O Partha! The immensely energetic Shantanu, your father’s grandfather, who brought all the lords of the earth under his suzerainty through dharma, is pleased in heaven with Partha Gandivadhanva.129 That immensely valorous and greatly famous king, the upholder of his lineage, always honoured the ancestors, the gods, the rishis and the brahmanas and performed seven major sacrifices on the banks of the Yamuna. O king! That lord of kings, your great grandfather Shantanu, has attained heaven and now resides in Shakra’s world. He has asked about your welfare.”’
Vaishampayana said, ‘Vrikodara, bull among the Bharata lineage, then laid down his spear, his club, his sword and his bow. He bowed down in obeisance before Kubera. The lord of riches, refuge of those who seek sanctuary, then told the one who had sought shelter, “May you be the one who destroys the pride of your enemies and increases the joy of your well-wishers. O scorcher of enemies! O bulls among the Bharata lineage! Dwell in these beautiful residences. The yakshas will procure for you everything that you desire. Having obtained the weapons and having obtained leave from Maghavan himself, Gudakesha Dhananjaya, bull among men, will return soon.” Having thus instructed Yudhishthira, whose deeds were virtuous, the lord of the guhyakas, returned to his home in the supreme of mountains. Thousands of rakshasas and yakshas followed him in their vehicles, covered with decorated cushions and adorned with many different kinds of gems. Those supreme horses neighed as they proceeded like birds towards Kubera’s abode, following Airavata’s path.130 The steeds of the lord of riches travelled as if they were splitting the sky, trailing clouds and feeding on the wind. On the instructions of the lord of riches, the dead bodies of the rakshasas were removed from the summit of the mountain. The wise Agastya had determined this at the time for the curse. And therefore they, together with Maniman, had been slain in battle. The great-souled Pandavas happily spent the night in those residences. They were free from anxiety and were honoured by all the rakshasas.’
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Vaishampayana said, ‘O destroyer of enemies! When the sun rose, having performed the rituals, Dhoumya came to the Pandavas with Arshtishena. Having bowed down at the feet of Arshtishena and Dhoumya, they worshipped all the brahmanas, hands joined in salutation.
‘Then Dhoumya grasped Yudhishthira by the right hand. Looking towards the eastern direction, the maharshi said, “O great king! Mandara, the king of mountains, grandly covers the earth, right up to the frontiers of the ocean. O Pandava! This direction, adorned with mountains, forests and groves, is protected by Indra and Vaishravana. O son!131 Learned rishis, knowledgeable in dharma have said that this is the abode of Mahendra and King Vaishravana. Beings worship the sun because it rises from there, as do rishis learned in dharma, siddhas, sadhyas and gods. King Yama, with dharma in his soul and the lord of all living beings, presides over the southern direction, the path followed by those who have died. This is sacred Samyamana, extraordinary to behold. Full of great prosperity, this is the abode of the king of the dead. O king! The learned ones call this king of the mountains Asta.132 On attaining it, the sun is established in truth. Dwelling on this king of mountains and in the great ocean, King Varuna protects all beings. O immensely fortunate one! The great and famous Mount Meru is established in radiance in the northern direction and is the auspicious refuge of those who know the brahman. Brahma’s sacrificial site133 is there and Prajapati,134 the soul of all beings and the creator of everything that is mobile and immobile, resides there. The great and auspicious Meru, free from disease, is also the abode of Brahma’s mental sons, the seventh being Daksha.135 O son!136 Every day, the seven devarshis, Vasishtha being the foremost, rise and set there.137 Behold that auspicious region and the auspicious peak of Meru, where the grandfather138 dwells with the gods, content in their souls. Beyond Brahma’s abode, the supreme region of the supreme lord Narayana is resplendent. He is without beginning and without end. He is said to be the first cause of all beings. He is the true origin of all nature. Even the gods cannot see that divine and auspicious region, full of energy, without great endeavour. O king! Because of its own radiance, brighter than the sun and the fire, the region of the great-souled Vishnu is difficult for the gods and the danavas to see. When they reach there, all the stars no longer shine. The lord whose soul is never subdued, outshines them through his own brilliance. Through their devotion, combined with supreme austerities and perfected with pious deeds, accomplished in yoga and devoid of darkness and delusion, great-souled ascetics go there. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Having gone there, they never return to this world.139 O immensely fortunate Yudhishthira! This region is eternal. It has no deterioration and no decay. This is the lord’s region. Bow down before it. The illustrious Aditya,140 the dispeller of all darkness, attracts all the stars and circumambulates it.141 On having reached Asta and passing through evening, the sun traverses a northern course. O Pandava! Always devoted to the welfare of all beings, the sun circles Meru and reappears in the east. In a similar way, the illustrious moon divides the months into many parvasandhis and travels with the stars. Thus continuously circling the great Meru, the nourisher of all beings142 returns to Mandara. In a similar way, the sun, the one who dispels darkness with his rays, follows the same unobstructed route and nourishes the world. When he desires to create the winter season, he takes a southern course143 and winter descends on all beings. Then, returning, he use
s his own energy to sap up the energy of all beings, mobile and immobile. Because of perspiration, tiredness, lassitude and exhaustion, all men are affected, and so are other beings. They are always inclined towards sleep. Thus, the sun traverses a path that cannot be determined. The illustrious one creates rains, reviving all beings. O Partha! Having prospered all beings, mobile and immobile, with pleasant rains, winds and warmth, the immensely energetic one resumes his course. O Partha! Thus the sun continuously traverses his course, following the wheel of time and attracting all beings. O Pandava! His course is eternal. He never stands still. Taking energy from beings, he returns it again. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He measures out the deeds of all beings. The eternal lord creates night and day, kala and kashtha.”’144