Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (32 page)

Vaishampayana said, ‘They lived on that king of mountains. Those great-souled ones established themselves in good vows. They found pleasure and amused themselves, waiting to see Arjuna. Those valorous ones were extremely pure in their souls, energetic and devoted to truth and fortitude. Masses of gandharvas and maharshis were kindly disposed towards them and came to visit them. Having reached that supreme mountain, adorned with blossoming trees, the maharathas were extremely happy in their hearts, like the Maruts are on attaining heaven. They beheld the peaks and the ridges of that great mountain, resounding with the calls of peacocks and swans and strewn with many flowers, and felt great joy. Kubera himself tended to them. They saw on that supreme mountain streams with wooded banks and ponds full of lotuses, kadambas, karandavas and swans. There were beautiful pleasure grounds, coloured and prosperous, adorned along the sides with garlands and studded with gems that please the mind, like those that are in the possession of the king of riches. The peak of that mountain had many colours and was fragrant. It had large trees and was covered with masses of clouds. Though they were always devoted to austerities, when they roamed around, they could not fathom it. O warrior among men! Because of the energy of that great mountain and the luminescence of its great herbs, no difference could be seen between night and day. While dwelling there, those brave lions among men saw the rising and
the setting of the sun, the infinitely energetic sun who lived there and nourished all beings, mobile and immobile. The brave ones saw how darkness was dispelled when the sun rose and how it returned when it had set. They saw how all the directions were enveloped in the nets spread by the rays of the sun. They waited for the arrival of the maharatha who was truthful in his vows. They studied and always performed the rituals. They followed dharma and were pure in their vows. They were always established in truth. “We will soon find joy in this spot, when Dhananjaya returns, having obtained the weapons.” This is what the Parthas pronounced as a supreme benediction and they devoted themselves to austerities and yoga.

‘They saw many beautiful mountains and forests, but constantly thought about Kiriti.
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Every day and every night seemed like an entire year to them. From the moment when the great-souled Jishnu had obtained Dhoumya’s permission and had left with matted hair, from that instant happiness had deserted them. How could they find pleasure when their hearts were with him? They had been stricken with grief ever since Jishnu, whose gait was like that of an elephant, had followed the instructions of his brother Yudhishthira and had left Kamyaka forest. They thought of the one whose steeds were white.
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He had gone to Vasava in search of weapons. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! In this way, the Bharatas spent a month in that mountain, immersed in melancholy.

‘Then one day, when the maharathas were thinking of Arjuna, they rejoiced when they suddenly saw Mahendra’s chariot approach, like a flash of lightning, and yoked to tawny horses. It suddenly blazed in the firmament, like a giant meteor hidden in the clouds or like the flaming crest of a fire that has no smoke. It was driven by Matali.
¹⁴⁷
Kiriti could be seen in it, garlanded and adorned in the best of ornaments. Dhananjaya was the equal of the wielder of the vajra in his power and arrived at the mountain, dazzling in his beauty. When the one with the diadem on his head arrived at the mountain,
he descended from Mahendra’s chariot and first paid his respect at Dhoumya’s feet, followed by Ajatashatru next.
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He then bowed down at Vrikodara’s feet and was himself worshipped by Madri’s sons. Then he went to Krishna and comforted her. With humility, he stood below his brother.
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Those who were there were extremely delighted at being reunited with the one who cannot be measured. The one who had the diadem on his head was also delighted on seeing them and praised the king. With happiness in their hearts, the Parthas approached and circled Indra’s chariot. On this, the slayer of Namuchi had destroyed seven groups of Diti’s sons.
¹⁵⁰
The princes of the Kuru lineage were extremely happy. They showed honour to Matali, equal to what the king of the gods would have warranted. As was appropriate, they asked him about the welfare of the gods. In turn, Matali greeted them and instructed them, like a father does his sons. In that chariot that was unmatched in its splendour, he then returned to the lord of the gods.

‘When the chariot of the supreme god had departed, Shakra’s great-souled son, the destroyer of all enemies, presented all the expensive and beautiful gifts that Shakra had given. The ornaments that he lovingly gave to his beloved, Sutasoma’s mother,
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glittered like the sun’s rays. Then he seated himself in the midst of the bulls of the Kuru lineage, resplendent like the sun and the fire. He sat in the midst of the brahmana rishis and recounted everything that had happened. “I have learnt these weapons from Shakra, the wind-god and Shiva themselves. Together with the gods, Indra was pleased at my conduct and my concentration.” Having briefly told them about his entry into heaven,
¹⁵²
Kiriti, the performer of pure deeds, happily went to sleep, spending the night with Madri’s sons.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘At that time,
¹⁵³
there was a tremendous sound in the sky, created by all the musical instruments of the gods. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! There was the sound of chariot wheels and the tolling of bells. The cries of beasts of prey, animals and all kinds of birds resounded everywhere. The king of the gods, the destroyer of enemies, arrived, accompanied by gandharvas and apsaras on all sides, all riding vimanas that were like the sun. Purandara, the king of the gods, blazing in his supreme radiance, went up to the Parthas in a chariot that roared like the clouds, was adorned with gold and was drawn by tawny horses. Having arrived, the god with the thousand eyes descended. As soon as he saw that great-souled one, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, together with his brothers, approached that handsome king of the gods. The one who was generous in his gifts worshipped the one whose soul was infinite,
¹⁵⁴
in accordance with the appropriate honours and the decreed rituals. The energetic Dhananjaya bowed in obeisance before Purandara and before the king of the gods, remained prone like a servant. The immensely energetic Yudhishthira, Kunti’s son, saw Dhananjaya, his head bowed in humility. The king of the gods was extremely delighted on seeing Phalguna and inhaled the fragrance of his matted head, cleansed through austerities. The king
¹⁵⁵
rejoiced in his heart and was overcome with delight.

‘Purandara, the wise king of the gods, spoke to him. “O king! O Pandava! You will rule the earth. O Kounteya! Be fortunate. Return again to the hermitage of Kamyaka. O king! Having performed deeds that brought me pleasure, Pandava Dhananjaya has obtained all the weapons from me. No one in the worlds is capable of vanquishing him now.” Having spoken these words to Kunti’s son Yudhishthira, and having been worshipped by the maharshis, the one with the thousand eyes happily returned to heaven. The learned and controlled
one who observes brahmacharya for a year, restrained and rigid in his vows, and studies this account of the meeting between the Pandavas and Shakra in the abode of the lord of riches, will never face obstructions and will live happily for a hundred autumns.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘When Shakra had departed the way he had come, together with his brothers and Krishna, Bibhatsu showed homage to Dharma’s son. Having inhaled the fragrance of the head of Pandava Arjuna, who had bowed down before him, he
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happily told him in a voice that was broken from delight, “O Arjuna! How did you spend this time in heaven? How did you satisfy the king of the gods and how did you obtain the weapons? O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Have you obtained all the weapons completely? Have the king of the gods and Rudra given you the weapons happily? How did you see Shakra and the illustrious wielder of the pinaka?
¹⁵⁷
How did you obtain the weapons and how did you worship them? O destroyer of enemies! Why did the illustrious Shatakratu say that you had done that which brought him pleasure? What did you do to please him? O immensely radiant one! I wish to hear all this in detail, how you satisfied Mahadeva and the king of the gods. O unblemished one! O destroyer of enemies! O Dhananjaya! How did you please the wielder of the vajra? Tell me everything.”

‘Arjuna replied, “O great king! Listen to the way in which I beheld the god Shatakratu and the illustrious lord Shankara. O king! O destroyer of enemies! Having studied as you had asked me to, I retired to the forest according to your instructions to practise austerities. From Kamyaka, I went to Bhrigutunga and practised austerities there. When I had spent a night there, I met a brahmana on the road. O
Kounteya! He asked me, ‘Where are you going? Tell me.’ O descendant of the Kuru lineage! I then told him everything. O supreme among kings! O king! On hearing everything from me, the brahmana offered me homage and was pleased at me. He cheerfully told me, ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Practise austerities. You will soon behold the lord of the gods.’ Then, following his instructions, I ascended Mount Shaishira
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and practised austerities. O great king! For one month, I lived on roots and fruit. O descendant of the Pandava lineage! For the second month, I lived on water alone. And in the third, I abstained from food. In the fourth month, I stood with my arms upraised. It is extraordinary that I did not lose my strength. When the fourth had passed and the first day arrived,
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a being in the form of a boar appeared before me. It dug the ground up with its tasks. It scratched it with its hooves. It rubbed it with its belly and continuously rolled over. It was followed by another great being in the form of a kirata.
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He carried a bow, arrows and a sword and was accompanied by masses of women.

‘“Taking up my bow and the quivers, I pierced that being,
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which made one’s hair stand up, with an arrow. At the same time, the kirata drew his powerful bow and pierced it even more firmly, as if making my mind tremble. O king! He told me, ‘Why have you disregarded the rules of hunting and shot it? It was struck by me first. Stand still. I will destroy your insolence with my sharp arrows. Then that gigantic being rushed at me. While I stood like a mountain, he covered me with his great arrows. I also covered him with a mighty shower of arrows. I pierced him, like a mountain pierced by the vajra, with arrows that flamed at the tips and had feathered shafts, with mantras chanted over them. At that, he multiplied his body a hundred times and a thousand times. I pierced each of these bodies with my arrows. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! At that, all the bodies became one
again. O great king! On seeing this, I pierced it again. He now assumed a very small body with a large head and then a very large body with a small head. O king! Then assuming a single body, he rushed at me to do battle. O bull among the Bharata lineage! When I could not vanquish him in combat with arrows, I resorted to my
vayavya
weapon. But it was extraordinary that I could not hurt him with this. When that weapon was repulsed, I was struck with great wonder. O great king! Therefore, I resorted to greater endeavours. In that great battle, I enveloped him with many mighty weapons. I unleashed a shower of arrows at him—
sthunakarna, ayojala, sharavarsha, sharolbana, shailastra
and
ashmavarsha
.
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O unblemished one! But he smilingly gobbled up all the weapons unleashed by me. When he had pacified all of them, I grasped my
brahmastra
.
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He was then completely covered with flaming arrows. Thus covered by my great weapon, his body began to expand. Because of the energy unleashed by me, the world began to burn. In an instant, the directions and the sky began to blaze. But that immensely energetic one pacified that weapon in a moment. O king! When the brahmastra weapon was conquered, I was overcome by great fear. I grasped my bow and inexhaustible quivers and struck him with these. But he devoured those weapons too. With all the weapons repulsed and with all the weapons devoured, that being and I engaged in a wrestling bout. We dealt blows at each other with our fists and with the flats of our hands. But that being vanquished me and I fell down immobile on the ground. Then that being laughed and disappeared at that spot and time, with all the women. O great king! On seeing this, I thought that it was extraordinary.

‘“O great king! Having done this, the illustrious one discarded the form of a kirata and appeared in another divine form, dressed in
a wonderful garment. The illustrious god himself, with the bull on his banner,
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yellow-eyed and capable of assuming many forms, the wielder of the pinaka,
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could be seen in his own form, accompanied by Uma. O scorcher of enemies! After the battle, I stood there, and the wielder of the trident
¹⁶⁶
told me, ‘I am pleased with you.’ Grasping the bow and the inexhaustible quivers that never run out of arrows, the illustrious one returned them to me and said, ‘Ask for a boon. O Kounteya! I am satisfied with you. Tell me what I can do for you. O brave one! What is the desire of your heart? Tell me and I will grant whatever is in your heart, as long as it is not immortality.’ Then, I joined my hands in salutation, with my mind set on obtaining weapons. I bowed to Sharva
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and spoke these words, ‘If the illustrious one is pleased with me, I ask for this boon. I wish to know about all the weapons that the gods possess.’ The illustrious Tryambaka
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told me, ‘I will give. O Pandava! My own weapon,
roudra
, will always be present before you.’ Satisfied, the lord granted me that
pashupata
weapon.
¹⁶⁹
Having given me that eternal weapon, Mahadeva told me, ‘This should never be used against humans. O Dhananjaya! This powerful weapon should only be used if you are hard-pressed. It can be used to counter all other weapons.’ Because of Vrishadhvaja’s favours, that divine weapon, capable of countering all other weapons, the destroyer of all enemies and capable of annihilating the armies of enemies, unassailable and impossible for gods, danavas and rakshasas to endure, stood personified by my side. After obtaining his
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permission, I sat down there. In my very sight, the god disappeared.”’