Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (21 page)

‘“In Vichitravirya’s field, from Krishna Dvaipayana, were born Dhritarashtra, lord of men, and also Pandu, of immense strength. Through his two wives, from Pandu, were born five separate sons, the equals of the gods. Yudhishthira was the first-born, the eldest, born from Dharma. Vrikodara was born from Maruta.
⁷²
The best of all, blessed with the boon of knowing all weapons, was Dhananjaya,
born from Indra. From the Ashvins were born the handsome twins Nakula and Sahadeva, always devoted to serving their superiors. One hundred sons were born to the wise Dhritarashtra—Duryodhana and the others and the inter-caste Yuyutsu.
⁷³

‘“From Arjuna, Abhimanyu, the great-souled Pandu’s grandson, was born to Subhadra, Vasudeva’s sister. From the five Pandavas, five sons were born to Krishna,
⁷⁴
handsome and skilled in the usage of all weapons—Prativindhya from Yudhishthira, Sutasoma from Vrikodara, Shrutakirti from Arjuna, Shatanika from Nakula and the mighty Shrutasena
⁷⁵
from Sahadeva. From Bhima, Hidimba gave birth to Ghatotkacha in the forest. Drupada
⁷⁶
had a daughter named Shikhandi, but later, she was transformed into a son. For the sake of her welfare, she was transformed into a man by the
yaksha
Sthuna. At that great battle of the Kurus, hundreds of thousands of kings assembled, eager to fight with each other. Their names are so many that I cannot recount them, for it would take many years. I have only mentioned the principal ones who figure in this account.”’

‘Janamejaya said, “O Brahmana! You have mentioned some and others you have not. I wish to hear in detail the accounts of all the radiant kings. O man of good fortune! Why were these great warriors, the equals of the gods, born on earth? Tell me in detail.”

‘Vaishampayana said, “O king! We have heard that what you ask is unknown even to the gods. However, after paying my respects to Brahma, I shall tell you that. In ancient times, after destroying the
Kshatriyas on earth twenty-one times, Jamadagni’s son
⁷⁷
went to Mahendra, supreme among mountains, and began to practise austerities. O king! When the world was thus bereft of Kshatriyas by the one of the Bhrigu lineage, Kshatriya women used to come to Brahmanas to fill their wombs. O tiger among men! Brahmanas who were rigid in observance of their vows had intercourse with them during their productive periods, not out of lust, nor when they were not in season. O king! Thus, thousands of Kshatriya women conceived and gave birth to many Kshatriyas of great power, boys as well as girls, so that the Kshatriya race might thrive. Thus the Kshatriya race originated from Kshatriya women through the ascetic Brahmanas.

‘“This new generation had long lives and prospered through righteous conduct. The four castes were again established, with Brahmanas at the head. At that time, every man went to his wife only when she was in season, nor for lust, nor when she was not in season. O bull of the Bharata lineage! All other beings, even those that were not human, also went to their wives at the right season. Thus they prospered in a righteous way and lived for hundreds and thousands of years. O ruler of the earth! All subjects faithfully followed dharma and the right rituals. All men were free from sorrow and disease. O king, you who have the gait of an elephant! Kshatriyas once again governed the wide earth, with the mountains, forests and groves, with the ocean as the boundary. When the earth was again governed righteously by the Kshatriyas, the other castes, with Brahmanas at their head, were filled with immense joy. All the rulers of men were freed from the sins of lust and anger and, punishing righteously those who deserved to be punished, they protected their subjects. On seeing that the Kshatriyas followed dharma, the one with thousand eyes and performer of a hundred sacrifices
⁷⁸
poured down sweet rain at the right time and the right place, so that subjects prospered. O ruler of men! No child died then. No one knew a woman before attaining the right age. O best of the Bharata lineage! Right up to the shores of the ocean, the earth was full of people who lived for a long time.
Kshatriyas performed great sacrifices in which a lot of alms were given. The Brahmanas studied the Vedas, the Vedangas and the Upanishads. O king! At that time, no Brahmana sold the knowledge of the brahman. Nor were the Vedas recited in the hearing of Shudras. The Vaishyas were engaged in farming and tilled the earth well with cattle, never yoking cows to ploughs and taking care of the lean ones. Men did not milk cows whose calves were still drinking the froth. No seller sold goods with false scales. O tiger among men! Men thus performed all acts with their eyes on dharma and followed the righteous path in every way. O ruler of men! Men of all castes followed the respective duties of their own castes. O tiger among men! At that time, there was no decline from the path of dharma. O bull of the Bharata lineage! Both women and cows gave birth at the right time. Trees bore flowers and fruit in the right seasons. O king! With Krita Yuga having thus arrived successfully at that time, the entire earth was filled with many beings.

‘“O bull of the Bharata lineage and lord of men! When the world was in such a flourishing state, the asuras began to take birth in royal dynasties. Having been often defeated in battle by the gods, the sons of Diti were dislodged from heaven and their prosperity, and began to take birth on earth. O lord of kings! Wishing to attain divinity in the world of men, the powerful demons took birth as different beings—cows, horses, asses, camels, buffaloes, predatory beasts, elephants and deer. O ruler of the earth! On account of those that were already born and those that were being born, the earth was no longer capable of supporting herself. Some of Diti and Danu’s offspring, dislodged from heaven, took birth as kings on earth, powerful and insolent. With great valour and strength, they covered the earth in many forms. Crushing their enemies, they oppressed the earth, right up to the shores of the ocean. They began to oppress the Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Shudras. They persecuted all other creatures with their power. O king! Terrorizing and killing all the myriad beings, they roamed over the earth in their hundreds and thousands. Devoid of righteousness and drunk with the power of their valour and strength, they even regularly persecuted the maharshis in their hermitages.

‘“O ruler of the earth! Oppressed by the great asuras, who were swollen because of valour, power and strength, the earth approached Brahma. O king! At that time, invaded by the strength of the danavas, the wind, the mountain or the serpent
⁷⁹
could no longer support the earth. O ruler of the earth! Therefore, the earth, frightened and overburdened, sought refuge with the god who is the grandfather of all beings. She saw the great and eternal god Brahma, the creator of the worlds, seated, surrounded by gods, Brahmanas and maharshis. Gandharvas and apsaras were engaged in divine tasks, worshipping him through hymns and chants. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! In the presence of all the rulers of the worlds, the earth saluted him and sought refuge, narrating all that had happened. But the reason for the earth’s arrival was already known to the omniscient self-creator who dwells high above and is the source of matter. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He is the creator of the world. How could he not know what was in the minds of all beings, including the gods and the demons?

‘“O great king! The source of all beings, Prajapati, Isha, Shambhu, the lord of the earth, spoke to earth. ‘O Vasundhara!
⁸⁰
So as to accomplish the task for which you have come to me, I will appoint all those who live in heaven.’ O king! Having thus addressed the earth, the god Brahma bid her farewell, and then the creator of all beings commanded the gods. ‘So as to free earth from this burden, all of you go and ensure parts of you are born on earth and seek the conflicts
⁸¹
you want.’ Then the great lord summoned the hosts of gandharvas and apsaras and spoke to them these supreme words: ‘Go and ensure that parts of you are born on earth in the forms that please you.’ On hearing these words of the foremost among the gods, words that were appropriate and full of meaning, all the gods, with Shakra
⁸²
at their head, accepted them. Impatient to go to earth and be born there in their respective parts, they went to Vaikuntha, to
Narayana, the wielder of the chakra and the
gada
,
⁸³
he who is dressed in yellow, he who is radiant white, he who destroys the enemies of the gods, he who has the lotus on his navel and he whose eyes are soft, wide and sloped downwards. For the purification of the earth, Indra told the supreme of beings, ‘Please incarnate yourself.’ Hari
⁸⁴
replied that thus it would be.”’

This parva comprises 2394 shlokas and sixty-five chapters.

Chapter 59: 54 shlokas
Chapter 60: 69 shlokas
Chapter 61: 102 shlokas
Chapter 62: 14 shlokas
Chapter 63: 26 shlokas
Chapter 64: 42 shlokas
Chapter 65: 42 shlokas
Chapter 66: 17 shlokas
Chapter 67: 33 shlokas
Chapter 68: 80 shlokas
Chapter 69: 51 shlokas
Chapter 70: 46 shlokas
Chapter 71: 58 shlokas
Chapter 72: 23 shlokas
Chapter 73: 36 shlokas
Chapter 74: 12 shlokas
Chapter 75: 25 shlokas
Chapter 76: 35 shlokas
Chapter 77: 27 shlokas
Chapter 78: 41 shlokas
Chapter 79: 30 shlokas
Chapter 80: 27 shlokas
Chapter 81: 16 shlokas
Chapter 82: 13 shlokas
Chapter 83: 13 shlokas
Chapter 84: 21 shlokas
Chapter 85: 27 shlokas
Chapter 86: 17 shlokas
Chapter 87: 18 shlokas
Chapter 88: 26 shlokas
Chapter 89: 55 shlokas
Chapter 90: 96 shlokas
Chapter 91: 22 shlokas
Chapter 92: 55 shlokas
Chapter 93: 46 shlokas
Chapter 94: 94 shlokas
Chapter 95: 14 shlokas
Chapter 96: 59 shlokas
Chapter 97: 26 shlokas
Chapter 98: 33 shlokas
Chapter 99: 49 shlokas
Chapter 100: 30 shlokas
Chapter 101: 28 shlokas
Chapter 102: 23 shlokas
Chapter 103: 17 shlokas
Chapter 104: 21 shlokas
Chapter 105: 27 shlokas
Chapter 106: 14 shlokas
Chapter 107: 37 shlokas
Chapter 108: 18 shlokas
Chapter 109: 31 shlokas
Chapter 110: 45 shlokas
Chapter 111: 36 shlokas
Chapter 112: 34 shlokas
Chapter 113: 43 shlokas
Chapter 114: 66 shlokas
Chapter 115: 28 shlokas
Chapter 116: 31 shlokas
Chapter 117: 33 shlokas
Chapter 118: 30 shlokas
Chapter 119: 43 shlokas
Chapter 120: 21 shlokas
Chapter 121: 23 shlokas
Chapter 122: 47 shlokas
Chapter 123: 78 shlokas

The word
sambhava
means what can originate or be in existence. Hence, this parva is about the origins of the core story. It is one of the longest parvas.

Vaishampayana said, ‘Thereupon, Narayana and Indra agreed that, together with the gods, they would descend from heaven and be born on earth in their respective parts. Having instructed the gods, Shakra
¹
returned from Narayana’s abode. One after another, for the destruction of the enemies of the gods and for the welfare of all the worlds, the dwellers of heaven took birth on earth. O tiger among kings! Thereupon, as it pleased them, the gods took birth in the dynasties of the rajarshis and the
maharshi
s. They killed the danavas, the rakshasas, the gandharvas, the nagas and other creatures that killed men, in great numbers. O best of the Bharata lineage! The danavas, the rakshasas, the gandharvas and the nagas could not kill the gods. Because, even when they were infants, they were strong.’

Janamejaya said, ‘I wish to hear accounts of the births of gods, danavas, gandharvas, apsaras, men, yakshas, rakshasas and other beings, from the beginning and in detail. You know everything. Please tell me.’ Vaishampayana replied, ‘Bowing down to the god who creates himself,
²
I shall narrate to you the origins and end of the worlds of the gods and other beings.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘Through the powers of his mind, Brahma had six sons
³
—Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu. Marichi’s son was Kashyapa and all beings were born from Kashyapa. Daksha had thirteen daughters who were illustrious. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Daksha’s daughters
⁴
were Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kala, Anayu, Simhika, Muni, Krodha, Prava, Arishta, Vinata, Kapila and Kadru. The sons and grandsons of these daughters were immensely powerful and infinite in number.

‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! From Aditi were born the twelve
aditya
s, the rulers of the worlds. I shall now mention their names to you—Dhata, Mitra, Aryamana, Shakra, Varuna, Amsha, Bhaga, Vivasvana and Pusha. In the tenth place was Savita, the eleventh was Tvashta and the twelfth was Vishnu. However, the youngest surpassed all the other adityas in qualities.

‘It is heard that Diti had only one son, named Hiranyakashipu. But he had five great-souled sons and their names were famous.
Prahlada was the eldest, followed by Samhrada. After that was Anuhrada. And after him, Shibi and Bashkala. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Three sons of Prahlada are known everywhere—Virochana, Kumbha and Nikumbha. Virochana had one son, the immensely powerful Bali. Bali in turn had a son, the great asura named Bana.

‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Danu’s forty sons are known everywhere. The first one was the famous king Viprachitti. In addition, one knows of Shambara, Namuchi, Puloman, Asiloman, Keshi, the danava Durjaya, Ayahshira, Ashvashira, the valorous Ashvashanku, Gaganamurdhana, Vegavan, Ketuman, Svarbhanu, Ashva, Ashvapati, Vrishaparva, Ajaka, Ashvagriva, Sukshma, the great asura Tuhundu, Isripa, Ekachakra, Virupaksha, Hara, Ahara, Nichandra, Nikumbha, Kupatha, Kapatha, Sharabha, Shalabha, Surya and Chandrama. Thus is recited the names of the famous danavas in Danu’s lineage. The gods Surya
⁵
and Chandrama
⁶
are different. O great king! Besides these, ten other immensely powerful and great danavas are known as Danu’s sons—Ekaksha, the valorous Mritapa, Pralamba, Naraka, Vatapi, Shatrutapana, the great asura Shatha, Gavishtha, Danayu and the danava Dirghajihva. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Their sons and grandsons were innumerable.

‘Simhika gave birth to a son named Rahu, the persecutor of the sun and the moon, and to three others—Suchandra, Chandraharta and Chandravimardana. The numerous sons and grandsons of Krodha were as cruel as she herself was. That line was the performer of evil and cruel deeds, oppressing their enemies. Anayu had four sons, the best among the asuras—Vikshara, Bala, Vira and the great asura Vritra. Kala’s sons were like Yama himself, immensely famous on earth, great danavas who were powerful oppressors of their enemies and of great valour—Vinashana, Krodha, Krodhahanta and Krodhashatru. It is heard that Kala also had other sons, including those known as the
kaleya
s.

‘Shukra, the son of a rishi, was the great preceptor of the asuras. The famous Shukra Ushanas
⁷
had four sons, who were also officiating priests for the asuras. Their names were Tvashtavara and Atri and two others who knew about the incantations of mantras. In energy, they were like the sun and they always tried to influence Brahma’s world. Thus I have narrated to you, as I heard it in the ancient tales, the origins of the dynasties of the gods and the powerful and strong demons. O ruler of the earth! Their progeny were so many and multiplied so much that I cannot count them.

‘Tarkshya,
⁸
Arishtanemi, Garuda, Aruna, Aruni and Varuni are known as the sons of Vinata. Shesha, Ananta, Vasuki, the serpent Takshaka, Kurma and Kulika are known as the sons of Kadru.

‘O king! Bhimasena, Ugrasena, Suparna, Varuna, Gopati, Dhritarashtra, Suryavarcha the seventh, Pattravan, Arkaparna, the famous Prayuta, Bhima, Chitraratha, all famous and learned in all matters, Shalishira, Pradyumna the fourteenth, Kali the fifteenth and Narada the sixteenth, these divine gandharvas are known as the sons of Muni.

‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! I shall now recount to you many other beings—Anavadya, Anuvasha, Anuranuna, Priya, Anupa, Subhaga and Bhasi were born to Prava, while Siddha, Purna, Barhi, the famous Purnayu, Brahmachari, Ratiguna, the seventh Suparna, Vishvavasu, Bhanu and the tenth Suchandra, these divine gandharvas are also known as the sons of Prava. It is also known that in times long past, the lady of good fortune known as Prava, through a devarshi,
⁹
gave birth to the race of apsaras with holy qualities—Alambusha, Mishrakeshi, Vidyutparna, Tulanagha, Aruna, Rakshita, the lovely Rambha, Asita, Subahu, Suvrata, Subhuja and Supriya. Atibahu, and the famous Haha and Huhu and Tumbura—these four are known as the supreme among gandharvas.
¹⁰

‘The ancient accounts tell us that the ambrosia, the Brahmanas, cattle, gandharvas and apsaras were the progeny of Kapila.
¹¹
Thus, I have recounted to you the origins and exact numbers of all beings, including the gandharvas, the apsaras, the serpents, Suparna, the rudras, the maruts, cattle and the fortunate Brahmanas who perform holy deeds. This history brings long life, is sacred, and is worthy of being heard and is also worthy of praise. It should always be heard and recited to others in the right frame of mind. He who reads this account of the origins of great souls with proper rites and in the presence of gods and Brahmanas, obtains progeny, good fortune, prosperity, fame and a beautiful outcome after death.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘It is known that Brahma gave birth to six maharshis through the powers of his mind. Sthanu
¹²
had eleven great sons through the powers of his mind—Mrigavyadha, Sarva, the famous Nirriti, Aja, Ekapada, Pinaki the destroyer of enemies, Dahana, Ishvara, the greatly radiant Kapali, Sthanu and the great lord Bhaga. These are known as the eleven rudras. The powerful maharshis Marichi, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu are Brahma’s six sons. It is well known in all the worlds that Angiras had three sons, Brihaspati, Utathya and Samvarta, all of whom were rigid in their vows. O ruler of men! It has been heard that the sons of Atri were many. They were all maharshis, learned in the Vedas, tranquil in their souls and attained salvation. From Pulastya were born the rakshasas, the monkeys and the kinnaras.
¹³
From Pulaha were born the deer, the lions, the tigers and the
kimpurusha
s.
¹⁴
The sons of Kratu were the equals of Kratu and were companions of the sun.
¹⁵
They were famous in the three worlds because of truthfulness and rigidity of their vows.

‘O protector of the earth! The revered rishi Daksha, great son and great father, was born from Brahma’s right toe. From the left toe was born the great-soul’s
¹⁶
wife. Through her, the sage had fifty daughters. These daughters were lotus-eyed and were all unblemished in features. Since Prajapati
¹⁷
had no sons, he made these daughters his
putrika
s.
¹⁸
O king! In accordance with the divine rites, he gave ten to Dharma, twenty-seven to Indu
¹⁹
and thirteen to Kashyapa. Listen to me as I recite the names of Dharma’s wives—Kirti, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Medha, Pushti, Shraddha, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja and Mati. As decreed by the one who created himself,
²⁰
these ten wives of Dharma are the doors to Dharma. The twenty-seven wives of Soma
²¹
are known throughout the worlds. These wives of Soma are pure in their vows and have been appointed to measure the progression of time. They are the magical nakshatras,
²²
used to regulate the movement of the worlds.

‘The grandfather
²³
had another son named Manu. He was a prajapati
²⁴
and his sons were the eight vasus. I shall name them in detail—Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Aha, Anila, Anala, Pratyusha and
Prabhasa. These are known as the eight vasus. Dhara was the son
²⁵
of Dhumra, and so was Dhruva, who had knowledge of the brahman. Chandra was the son of Manasvini and Shvasa’s son was Shvasana.
²⁶
Aha was Rata’s son and the fire
²⁷
was Shandilya’s son. It is known that Pratyusha and Prabhasa were the sons of Prabhata. Dhara again had two sons, named Dravina and Hutahavyavaha. Dhruva’s son was the illustrious Kala, the regulator of the worlds. Soma’s son was the lustrous Varcha and the beautiful Varcha had sons named Shishira, Prana and Ramana. The sons of Aha were Jyoti, Shama, Shanta and Muni. Agni’s son
²⁸
was the illustrious Kumara, born in a bed of reeds. Since he was reared by the krittikas,
²⁹
he is also known as Kartikeya. Other sons
³⁰
were Shakha, Vishakha and Naigamesha, as the youngest. Anila’s wife was Shiva and her sons were Purojava and Avijnatagati. These were the two sons of Anila. It is known that Pratyusha’s son was the rishi Devala. Devala himself had two sons who were learned and forgiving. Brihaspati’s
³¹
sister was celibate and the first among women. Unattached to the world and attached to yoga, she roamed the world and became the wife of the eighth vasu, Prabhasa. Thus was born the illustrious Vishvakarma, founder of all crafts, creator of a thousand arts, artisan to the thirty gods, maker of all ornaments, best of craftsmen and maker of celestial chariots for the gods. Men thrive on the arts created by this great soul and it is for this reason that the everlasting Vishvakarma is eternally worshipped.

‘The illustrious Dharma emerged by cleaving Brahma’s right breast, assuming human form and bringing happiness to all the worlds. Dharma had three supreme sons, beautiful to all beings—Shama, Kama and Harsha. They support the worlds through their energy. Kama’s wife was Rati, Shama’s was Prapti and Harsha’s was Nanda. The worlds depend on them for sustenance. Kashyapa was Marichi’s son and Kashyapa’s sons were the gods and the demons. O tiger among kings! He is therefore the origin of the worlds. Tvashtri,
³²
in the form of a mare, became the wife of Savita
³³
and this fortunate one gave birth to the two Ashvins in the sky. O ruler of men! Aditi had twelve sons, headed by Shakra.
³⁴
The youngest of them was Vishnu, on whom the worlds depend. These are the thirty-three gods. I shall now recount to you their progeny, according to their groups,
³⁵
families
³⁶
and classes.
³⁷
One must know that the rudras, saddhyas, maruts, vasus, bhargavas and vishvadevas are each a group. Vinata’s son Garuda, the powerful Aruna and the illustrious Brihaspati are counted among the adityas. The two Ashvins and all herbs and animals are counted among the
guhyaka
s.
³⁸
O king! These are the classes of the gods, recited in sequence. When a man recites this narration, he is cleansed from all sins.