Mahabharata: Volume 4 (4 page)

Bibek Debroy

The Pandavas have to spend the thirteenth year in disguise and in hiding. They decide to do this in the kingdom of Virata and this parva is named after that. In the 18-parva classification of the Mahabharata, Virata Parva is fourth. This parva has sixty-seven chapters. In the 100-parva classification of the Mahabharata, Sections 45 through 48 constitute Virata Parva. In the numbering of the chapters in this parva, the first number is a consecutive one, starting with the beginning of the Mahabharata. And the second number, within brackets, is the numbering of the chapter within Virata Parva.

This section has 282 shlokas and twelve chapters.

Chapter 597(1): 23 shlokas
Chapter 598(2): 27 shlokas
Chapter 599(3): 19 shlokas
Chapter 600(4): 49 shlokas
Chapter 601(5): 31 shlokas
Chapter 602(6): 16 shlokas
Chapter 603(7): 11 shlokas
Chapter 604(8): 33 shlokas
Chapter 605(9): 15 shlokas
Chapter 606(10): 13 shlokas
Chapter 607(11): 13 shlokas
Chapter 608(12): 32 shlokas

This section is named after Virata. Virata is the proper name, whereas Vairata is the adjective. In Section 44 (Volume 3), at the end of Aranyaka (Vana) Parva, a brahmana’s kindling was robbed by a deer and the Pandavas pursued the deer. This section takes off from there. The Pandavas decide to spend the thirteenth year in disguise in King Virata’s kingdom. In individual disguises, the Pandavas and Droupadi arrive in King Virata’s court and are accepted by him. Yudhishthira becomes Kanka, Bhima becomes Ballava, Arjuna becomes Brihannada, Nakula becomes Granthika, Sahadeva becomes Tantipala and Droupadi becomes Sairandhri.

Janamejaya asked, ‘Oppressed by fear of Duryodhana, how did my great grandfathers live in disguise in the city of Virata?’
¹

Vaishampayana said, ‘Having obtained boons from Dharma in that fashion,
²
the one who was foremost among upholders of dharma
³
returned to the hermitage and told the brahmanas everything that had happened. Having recounted everything to the brahmanas, Yudhishthira returned the kindling to the brahmana.
⁴
O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Then Dharma’s son, the great-minded King Yudhishthira, called all his younger brothers and spoke to them in this way. “Dislodged from our kingdom, we have lived for twelve years and the thirteenth has arrived now. We will have to live through a difficult period. O Kounteya Arjuna! Therefore, think of a desirable place where all of us may dwell, without being detected by our enemies.” Arjuna replied, “O lord of men! O bull among the Bharata lineage! Because of the boon that has been given to us by Dharma, we can roam undetected by men. I will recount the kingdoms where we may dwell. Some of them are beautiful and secluded. Which of these seems attractive to you? Around the kingdom of the Kurus, there are many beautiful countries with an abundance of food—Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Shurasena, Patachchara, Dasharna, Navarashtra, Malla, Shalva and Yugandhara. O king! Which among these seems to you to be an attractive place to live in? O Indra among kings! Where will we dwell for a year?” Yudhishthira said, “O mighty-armed one! It will indeed be as the illustrious lord of all beings
⁵
has said. It cannot be otherwise. We must certainly dwell in
a place that is beautiful, auspicious and pleasant, where all of us can live without any fear. Let us consult among ourselves. The powerful Matsya Virata will protect the Pandavas. He is aged, generous, with a great deal of riches and conducts himself in accordance with dharma. O son!
⁶
O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Let us happily spend a year in the city of Virata.
⁷
We will perform tasks for him there.
⁸
O descendants of the Kuru lineage! Let each one of us describe the tasks that he will perform, the kind of duties that we will undertake for him.” Arjuna replied, “O god among men! O virtuous one! What duty will you undertake in the kingdom of King Virata? What appeals to you? You are gentle, generous, modest and devoted to dharma. Truth is your valour. O king! O Pandava! Confronted by this calamity, what will you do? O king! You are not familiar with the hardships faced by ordinary people. How will you pass through this calamity that has come over you?” Yudhishthira said, “O descendants of the Kuru lineage! Listen to the duties that I will undertake. When I arrive before King Virata, bull among men, I will become a member of that great-souled king’s assembly. I will pose as a brahmana named Kanka, skilled in dice and fond of gambling.
⁹
I will use beautiful dice made out of lapis lazuli, gold, ivory and lustrous fruit,
¹⁰
with black and red dots. If asked, I will tell the king that in earlier times I used to be Yudhishthira’s friend, as dear to him as life itself. I have now told you how I wish to spend my time. O Vrikodara!
¹¹
What task will you perform in Virata?”’

‘Bhima said, “I think I will present myself before King Virata as a superintendent of the kitchen and give my name as Ballava. Since I possess culinary skills, I will cook him dishes. I will surpass all the skilled chefs who have cooked dishes for him earlier and thus generate affection in his mind. I will fetch large loads of wood for him. The king will be pleased on witnessing my great deeds. O king! If there are powerful elephants, or immensely strong bulls, that need to be overpowered by me, I will pacify them too. If there are warriors who need to be fought in the assembly, I will vanquish them also and increase his affection towards me. But I will never slay any of those fighters. I will bring them down so that they do not perish. If asked, I will say that I was cook, cattle-tender, chef and wrestler to Yudhishthira. O lord of the earth! I will act so as to protect myself on my own. I promise that I will carry myself in this way.”

‘Yudhishthira said, “He is foremost among men. In a desire to burn down Khandava, he was the one before whom Agni appeared in the disguise of a brahmana in earlier times. He was accompanied by Dasharha then.
¹²
He is immensely strong and mighty-armed. He is the invincible descendant of the Kuru lineage. What duty will Kounteya Dhananjaya undertake? He confronted the conflagration and satisfied the fire. Ascended on a single chariot, he vanquished Indra and killed the serpents and the
rakshasa
s. He is supreme among warriors. What will Arjuna do? The sun is foremost among those that heat. The brahmana is supreme among bipeds, a poisonous one among snakes. Agni is supreme among those with energy. The
vajra
is supreme among weapons. A bull with a hump is supreme among cattle. The ocean is foremost among stores of water. Parjanya
¹³
is supreme among those who shower down. Dhritarashtra is supreme among
naga
s and
Airavata
¹⁴
among elephants. The son is supreme among those who are loved and the wife among well-wishers. O Vrikodara! Just as there is a foremost among each specific category, this young Gudakesha
¹⁵
is foremost among all archers. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He is not inferior to Indra or Vasudeva. He is the wielder of the bow Gandiva and has white horses. What will Bibhatsu do?
¹⁶
He lived for five years in the abode of the one with a thousand eyes.
¹⁷
In a form that was as radiant as that of the gods, he obtained divine weapons. I think that he is the twelfth Rudra and the thirteenth Aditya.
¹⁸
His arms are smooth and long. His skin is tough, both on the right and the left,
¹⁹
from drawing the string of the bow and marked like bulls that bear loads. The armed Arjuna is supreme, like Himalaya among the mountains, the ocean among stores of water, Shakra
²⁰
among the thirty gods, Agni among the Vasus, the tiger among animals and Garuda among winged ones. What will he do?”

‘Arjuna replied, “O lord of the earth! I promise that I will undertake the duties of a eunuch. O king! It is difficult to conceal these great marks that the string of the bow has left. I will wear earrings as radiant as the fire on my ears. O king! I will wear a braid on my head and name myself Brihannada.
²¹
I will repeatedly recount stories and observe the characteristics of a woman. I will please the king and the others who live in the inner quarters through different forms of singing and dancing and the playing of varied kinds of
music.
²²
O king! I will teach the women in Virata’s abode these arts. I will recount the many deeds, fruits and conducts of people. O Kounteya! I will disguise myself in this way. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! If I am asked by the king, I will say that I was Droupadi’s attendant in Yudhishthira’s house. O Indra among kings! In this way, I will pleasantly spend my time in Virata’s abode, disguising myself through deceit, just as Nala had done.”’
²³

‘Yudhishthira asked, “O Nakula! O son!
²⁴
You are delicate, brave, handsome and used to pleasure. What will you do and how will you act?”

‘Nakula replied, “I will become a keeper of horses for King Virata. I find pleasure in that kind of work and will give myself the name of Granthika. I am skilled in training horses and also in treating horses. O king of the Kuru lineage! I have always loved horses, just as much as you have. If people in the city of Virata question me, I will tell them that this is how I find pleasure.”

‘Yudhishthira asked, “O Sahadeva! How will you find pleasure before him?
²⁵
O son!
²⁶
What task will you undertake? How will you disguise yourself while roaming there?”

‘Sahadeva replied, “I will tend to the cows of King Virata. I am skilled in tending to cattle, milking them and counting them. Know that I will be called by the name of Tantipala. I will conduct myself skilfully and do not be anxious on my account. In earlier times, you have naturally used me for tending to cattle. O lord of the earth! I
am acquainted with all the skills connected with that task, the traits and conduct of cattle and the auspicious marks. O lord of the earth! I know all this and other things extremely well. O king! I know which bulls possess marks that deserve worship, and the smell of whose urine makes barren cows give birth. I will conduct myself in this way, for this always brings pleasure to me. O king! No one will be able to recognize me and you will be happy.”

‘Yudhishthira said, “This is our beloved wife, dearer to us than our lives. She should be protected like a mother and worshipped like an elder sister. What duty will Krishna Droupadi perform and how will she conduct herself? She is not familiar with any of the duties and tasks that women perform. She is delicate and young and is a famous princess. She is immensely fortunate and devoted to her husbands. How will she conduct herself? Ever since birth, this beautiful one has known garlands, fragrances, ornaments and varied garments.”

‘Droupadi replied, “O descendant of the Bharata lineage! In this world, there are unprotected maidservants known as
sairandhri
.
²⁷
It is known to people that no other women conduct themselves in this fashion. If asked, I will call myself Sairandhri, adept at dressing the hair. Concealing myself in this way, I will enter the service of Sudeshna, the king’s famous wife. On obtaining me, she will protect me. Do not be unhappy in this way.”

‘Yudhishthira said, “O Krishna! You speak well, deserving of one who has been born in a noble lineage. You do not know any sin. You are virtuous and always base yourself on righteous vows.”’

‘Yudhishthira said, “You have stated the tasks and the duties that you will perform. To the best of my intelligence, I have
decided that I approve of this. Let our priest leave, together with the superintendents of the kitchen and the cooks, and preserve the
agnihotra
²⁸
in Drupada’s abode. It is my view that Indrasena
²⁹
and the other charioteers should take the empty chariots and swiftly proceed to Dvaravati. Let all the women who tend to Droupadi go to Panchala
³⁰
with the superintendents of the kitchen and the cooks. All of them must say, ‘We do not know where the Pandavas are. All of them have deserted us and have left Dvaitavana.’”

‘Dhoumya
³¹
said, “Devoted well-wishers can speak about things that are known. Therefore, I will speak and listen to my reasons. O princes! I will tell you about life in a king’s abode and about how, having reached the king’s household, you can free yourselves from harm. O Kouravyas! Life in a king’s abode is difficult, even for those who are acquainted with it. For an entire year you will be unknown and will not be shown any honour, even though you deserve honour. When you are shown the door, take to the door. Do not repose any trust in kings. Seek out seats that no one else desires. Live in the king’s abode without assuming that, as a favourite, one can ascend his vehicle, palanquin, seat, elephant or chariot. If evil-minded ones are suspicious of the seat that you occupy, do not ascend there again. That is the way one can live in a king’s residence. One should never offer advice to the king, unless he has asked for it. Be seated in silence and honour him at the right time. Kings dislike those who disagree and people who speak lies. Wise ones never become friendly with the wives,
³²
or with those who live in the inner quarters, or ill-wishers whom the king despises. With the king’s knowledge, one should perform the most insignificant of tasks. If one conducts oneself in this fashion, one will be protected from any harm from the king. One should serve with the care one exhibits towards Agni or the
other gods. There is no doubt that if one resorts to falsehood, one will confront violence. One should follow the instructions of the lord and avoid negligence, pride and anger. One should always offer advice that is good and pleasant, but one should attend more to the good than the pleasant. In every kind of conversation, one should be kindly disposed.
³³
One should never say that which is unpleasant and brings no gain. A learned one serves, not thinking that he is favoured. Without any confusion, do that which is good and pleasant. One can live in the king’s abode as long as one does not serve those who wish him ill, as long as one does not consort with those who seek to harm him and as long as one does not stray from one’s station. The learned seat themselves to the right side or the left. It has been decreed that the place behind him is for armed guards. The grand seat in front of him has always been forbidden. One should not talk about prosperity in his presence.
³⁴
This is regarded as extreme impertinence, even among the poor. Do not reveal to men the lies the king utters. Do not converse with men the king does not like. Do not be proud because of your bravery, or vain because of your intelligence. One becomes dear and comfortable by doing that which brings pleasure to the king. Having obtained rare riches and affection from a king, without any confusion, one must engage in that which is good and pleasant for the king. His anger can be a great obstacle. His favours can bring great fruits. Can anyone, who is honoured by the wise, think of causing harm to such a person? One should not forcefully move one’s lips or thighs, or utter words with great force. Sneezing, breaking wind and clearing the throat should always be done gently. When there is an occasion for laughter, one should laugh gently, and not like one who is mad. But one should not be too solemn. Otherwise, one will be taken to be too severe. Instead, one should smile gently, showing oneself to be benevolent. One can always live in a king’s abode if one does not show delight at a gain or sorrow at a dishonour, and is always attentive. If one is a learned counsellor who always pleases the king and the prince, one can always live
there in prosperity. If a beloved adviser has fallen out of favour for some reason and does not blame the king, he will regain the favours once more. One who earns his livelihood from the king, or dwells in his kingdom, must be sagacious enough to recount his good qualities, both in his presence and in his absence. An adviser who strongly desires to obtain some objective from the king, will not remain in that position for long and faces a danger to his life. For the sake of what is seen to be one’s one gains, one should not say anything that goes against the king. In particular, one should always advice the king at the right place. One who is always cheerful, strong, brave, faithful like a shadow, truthful, gentle and self-controlled, is capable of dwelling in a king’s abode. If another one is instructed with a task, a person who jumps forward and asks what he should do is capable of dwelling in a king’s abode. If one does not waver when given instructions, whether it is hot or cold, or night or day, one is capable of dwelling in a king’s abode. One who lives away from home and does not remember one’s loved ones and one who finds happiness in unhappiness is capable of dwelling in a king’s abode. One should not dress like him.
³⁵
One should not laugh loudly in his presence. One should not offer a great deal of advice. In this way, one will become dear to the king. Appointed to a task, one should not touch riches.
³⁶
Having obtained unearned riches, one faces imprisonment or death. One should use vehicles, garments, ornaments and other objects that have been given, and thus become a greater favourite. O sons!
³⁷
Spend a year in this way, adorning yourselves with good conduct. You will then regain your possessions and act according to your pleasures.”