Mahabharata: Volume 7 (57 page)

V
aishampayana said, ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The lord of the stars performed a rajasuya sacrifice there. This was after the great Tarakamaya battle
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had been fought. Having bathed there, the controlled Bala gave away gifts. The one with dharma in his soul then went to the tirtha of the sage Sarasvata. In ancient times, when a drought had lasted for twelve years, the sage Sarasvata, had taught the Vedas to many supreme brahmanas.’

Janamejaya asked, ‘In ancient times, during the twelve years of drought, why did the sage Sarasvata, rich in austerities, teach the Vedas?’

Vaishampayana replied, ‘O great king! In earlier times, there was an intelligent sage who was a great ascetic. He was known by the name of Dadhicha. He was a
brahmachari
and had control over his senses. Because of his austerities, the lord Shakra was always frightened.
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But he could not tempt him by offering him many kinds of fruits.
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To tempt him, the chastiser of Paka sent a celestial, sacred and beautiful apsara named Alambusa. O great king! The great-souled one was worshipping the gods on the banks of the Sarasvati and the beautiful one approached him there. Though the rishi was controlled in his senses, on seeing her beautiful form, his seed fell down into the Sarasvati and the river held it. O bull among men! On seeing the seed, the great river held it inside her, hoping that a son might be born in her womb. When it was time, the best of rivers gave birth to a son. O lord! With the son, she went to the rishi. The river saw that the supreme sage was in an assemblage of rishis. O Indra among kings! Handing over the son, she said, “O brahmarshi! This is your son. Out of my devotion towards you, I have borne him. When you saw Alambusa, your seed fell down into the water. O brahmarshi! Out of my devotion towards you, I bore it inside me. I had decided that your energy should not be destroyed. I am giving you this unblemished son. Accept him.” Having been thus
addressed, he was supremely delighted and accepted him. Uttering mantras, the supreme among brahmanas inhaled the fragrance of his head. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! He embraced him for a long time. Delighted, the great sage granted Sarasvati a boon. “O immensely fortunate one! When your waters are offered as oblations, the Vishvadevas, the ancestors and large numbers of gandharvas and apsaras will be satisfied.” Having said this, he praised the great river in these words. He was happy and supremely delighted. O king! Listen to this. “O immensely fortunate one! In earlier times, you have arisen from Brahma’s lake. O best of rivers! Sages, rigid in their vows, know about you. O one who is beautiful to behold! You have always done that which brings me pleasure. O one with a beautiful complexion! This great son of yours will be known by the name of Sarasvata. This son of yours will be known by that name and will be the creator of worlds. He will be known by the name of Sarasvata and will be a great ascetic. O immensely fortunate one! When there is a drought for twelve years, he will teach the Vedas to bulls among the brahmanas. O beautiful one! Your waters will always be sacred. You will be the most sacred one. O immensely fortunate one! O Sarasvati! This is what you will obtain through my favours.” The great river was thus praised and obtained that boon. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Taking the son with her, she cheerfully went away.

‘At this time, there was a conflict between the gods and the danavas. In search of weapons, Shakra travelled around the three worlds. The illustrious Shakra could not find a weapon through which he could slay the enemies of the gods. Shakra told the gods, “I am incapable of slaying the great asuras who are the enemies of the thirty gods, without the bones of Dadhicha.” The supreme gods then went to the best of rishis and said, “O Dadhicha! Give us the bones in your body, so that we can slay our enemies.” Having been asked by the gods, the best of rishis did not hesitate. He carefully gave up his body and gave them the bones. Having performed an act that was beneficial to the gods, he obtained the eternal worlds. Shakra was delighted. He fashioned many celestial weapons with those bones—vajras, chakras, clubs and large staffs. Prajapati’s
son was Bhrigu, the creator of worlds, and that supreme rishi had obtained him
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through his fierce austerities. He was large and energetic and had been created with the essence of the worlds. The lord
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was famous and was as tall as the Himalayas, the greatest of mountains. The chastiser of Paka had always been anxious on account of his energy. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The vajra was fashioned from that illustrious one
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and invoked with mantras. It was created with great anger and possessed the energy of the brahman. With this, he
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slaughtered ninety-nine brave ones among the daityas and the danavas.

‘A long and fearful period passed since that time. O king! There was a drought that lasted for twelve years.
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O king! Because of the twelve years of drought, the maharshis could not sustain themselves. Hungry, they fled in all the directions. On seeing that they were running away in different directions, the sage Sarasvata also made up his mind to leave. However, Sarasvati spoke to him. “O son! You need not go away. I will always give you food. I will always give you large fish. Stay here.” O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Having been thus addressed, he remained there and offered oblations to the ancestors and the gods. He always sustained himself through this food and sustained the Vedas. When the period of drought was over, the maharshis wished to study again and asked each other. When they were afflicted by hunger, the proper knowledge of the Vedas had been destroyed. O Indra among kings! There was not a single one among them who could understand them. Some of those rishis came upon Sarasvata, supreme among rishis, when he had controlled his soul and was engaged in studying. They went to the others and told them about the unmatched Sarasvata, who was like an immortal. Alone in a solitary spot, he was studying. O king! All the maharshis arrived at that spot. The assembled ones spoke to Sarasvata, best
among sages. They said, “Teach us.” The sage replied, “Become my disciples in the ordained way.” At this, the large number of rishis said, “O son! You are only a child.” He replied to the sages, “I must act so that my dharma is not diminished. Those who teach without following dharma and those who learn without following dharma are quickly destroyed and come to hate each other. Rishis cannot claim to follow dharma on the basis of grey hair, riches or the number of relatives. One who can teach is alone great.” Having heard his words, the sages duly
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learnt the Vedas from him and began to practise dharma again. Sixty thousand sages became his disciples. Those brahmana rishis desired to study under Sarasvata. Though he was yet a child, each of those brahmana rishis brought a fistful of
darbha
grass to him,
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offered him a seat and obeyed him. Rohini’s immensely strong son, Keshava’s elder brother, gave away riches there. Joyfully, and in due order, he then went to another great and famous tirtha, where an aged maiden had once lived.’

J
anamejaya asked, ‘O illustrious one! In earlier times, why did the maiden dwell there, engaging in austerities? Why did she torment herself through austerities? What was her vow? O brahmana! I have heard supreme accounts of difficult deeds from you. Tell me everything. Why was she engaged in austerities?’

Vaishampayana replied, ‘There was an immensely illustrious rishi. He was immensely energetic and his name was Kuni-Gargya. O king! His austerities were great and in austerities, he was supreme among ascetics. Through the powers of his mind, the lord generated a fair-browed daughter. On seeing her, the immensely illustrious Kuni-Gargya was extremely happy. O king! He gave up his body and went to heaven. The fortunate and fair-browed one had eyes
like a lotus. The unblemished one undertook great hardships and performed fierce austerities. She fasted and worshipped and satisfied the ancestors and the gods. O king! While she was engaged in these terrible austerities, a long period of time elapsed. Her father had desired that she should be given away to a husband. However, she could not see a husband who was equal to her own self. She oppressed her mind and her body through those fierce austerities. In that deserted forest, she was devoted to worshipping the ancestors and the gods. O Indra among kings! Though she afflicted herself through austerities and was also overcome by old age, she did not regard herself to be exhausted. Finally, she was no longer capable of taking even a single step on her own. Therefore, she resolved to depart to the world hereafter.

‘On seeing that she wished to free herself of her body, Narada told her, “O unblemished one! Which worlds can a maiden who has not been married go to? O one who is great in vows! This is what we have heard in the world of the gods. Though you have performed supreme austerities, you have not obtained any worlds for yourself.” On hearing his words, she spoke in an assembly of rishis. “O supreme ones! I will give half of my austerities to anyone who accepts my hand.” Hearing this, a rishi named Sringavan, Galava’s son, accepted her hand. He proposed a pledge and told her, “O beautiful one! I will accept your hand with this pledge. You will live with me for only one night.” Accepting this pledge, she gave him her hand. Galava’s son accepted her hand and married her. O king! That night, she became young and as beautiful as a goddess. She was adorned in celestial ornaments and garments and adorned with divine garlands and unguents. On seeing her blazing beauty, Galava’s son was delighted. He spent a night with her. In the morning, she told him, “O brahmana! O supreme among ascetics! The pledge that I had taken with you is over. O fortunate one! Since that has been accomplished, may you be at peace. I will leave.” Obtaining his permission, she again said, “Anyone who controls himself and spends a night at this tirtha, offering oblations to the gods, will obtain the fruits that are obtained from observing brahmacharya for sixty-four years.” Having said this, the virtuous one gave up her body and went to heaven. The rishi was
distressed and thought of her beauty. Because of the agreement, though he found it difficult, he accepted half of her austerities. O foremost among the Bharata lineage! He was miserable because of the power of her beauty. He cast off his own body and followed her. This is the great account about the conduct of the aged maiden. While the one with the plough as his weapon was there, he heard about Shalya’s death. O scorcher of enemies! He gave away gifts to the brahmanas there. He sorrowed that Shalya had been killed by the Pandavas in the battle. Madhava Rama then emerged through the gates of Samantapanchaka and asked the large number of rishis about what had transpired in Kurukshetra. O lord! Asked by the lion among the Yadu lineage, those great-souled ones told him everyting that had transpired in Kurukshetra, exactly as it had occurred.’

‘T
he rishis said, “O Rama! Samantapanchaka has been spoken of as Prajapati’s eternal northern altar. In earlier times, the residents of heaven, the granters of great boons, performed a great sacrifice there. The intelligent and great-souled Kuru, best among royal sages and infinite in his energy, cheerfully cultivated this field. That is the reason this is known as Kurukshetra.”
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‘Rama asked, “Why did the great-souled Kuru cultivate this field? O stores of austerities! I wish to hear this. Tell me.”

‘The rishis replied, “O Rama! In earlier times, Kuru was always engaged in tilling this. On seeing this, Shakra came from heaven and asked him the reason. ‘O king! Why are you making this supreme effort? O rajarshi! What is the reason for you to till this field?’ Kuru said, ‘O Shatakratu! Men who die in this field will go to the worlds reserved for those with meritorious deeds. They will be cleansed of their sins.’ Laughing at this, the lord Shakra returned to heaven.
The rajarshi was not distressed and continued to plough the earth. Shatakratu repeatedly came to him and repeatedly received the same reply. Disgusted, he repeatedly went away. The king continued to till the earth with great perseverance. Shakra told the other gods what the rajarshi was up to. On hearing this, the gods spoke these words to the one with one thousand eyes. ‘O Shakra! If you can, grant the rajarshi a boon and stop him. If men can die here and go to heaven, without dutifully giving us a share in the sacrifices, we will have no existence left.’ Shakra came to the rajarshi and told him, ‘Do not make any more efforts. Listen to my words. O king! Men who fast here and give up their bodies, with all their senses intact, or those who are killed in battle, will certainly go to heaven. O Indra among kings! O immensely intelligent one! They will enjoy heaven.’ King Kuru agreed to the words that Shakra had spoken. Having taken his leave and delighted in his mind, the slayer of Bala swiftly returned to heaven. O best among the Yadu lineage! In ancient times, this was thus ploughed by the rajarshi. Shakra promised great merits to those who give up their lives here. Shakra, the lord of the gods, himself composed a song about Kurukshetra and sang it. O one with the plough as his weapon! Listen to this. ‘The dust of Kurukshetra, when blown away by the wind, will convey even those who perform wicked deeds to the supreme objective.’ Bulls among the gods, supreme among the brahmanas, Nriga
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and the best among kings, lions among men, have performed extremely expensive sacrifices here. They have given up their bodies and attained excellent ends. The region between Tarantuka and Arantuka, between Rama’s lakes and Machakruka, is Kurukshetra Samantapanchaka.
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It is known
as Prajapati’s northern altar. It is sacred, extremely auspicious and is revered by the residents of heaven. It possesses all the qualities of heaven. Therefore, all the lords of the earth who are slain here obtain the ends earmarked for great-souled ones.” ’