Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (60 page)

‘Vyasa said, “When Moudgalya heard these words, he reflected on them in his mind. Having thought about them, the best of sages replied to the messenger of the gods. ‘O messenger of the gods! I bow down before you. O father!
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Please go, according to your wishes. If there are such great taints, I have nothing to do with heaven or happiness. There will be great unhappiness at the time of the fall, by those who have enjoyed heaven. There will be extremely terrible regret. Therefore, I do not desire heaven. I will only look for the infinite region where there is no sorrow, unhappiness or dislodging, once one has traversed the path and has reached there.’ Having spoken these words, the sage gave the messenger of the gods permission to leave. He returned to a life of collecting rice and achieved supreme serenity. He looked on praise and blame equally. A brick, a stone and a piece of gold were the same to him. Through the yoga of knowledge, he was always engaged in meditation. Having obtained strength through the yoga of meditation, he obtained supreme wisdom. He
attained the eternal and supreme success, the marks of supreme salvation.
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O Kounteya! Therefore, you should not sorrow. You have been dislodged from a prosperous kingdom. But you will regain it through your austerities. Happiness follows unhappiness and unhappiness follows happiness in circles around a man, like the rim of a wheel. You have infinite valour and you will obtain the kingdom of your fathers and grandfathers, once the thirteen years have passed. You should discard the fever in your mind.”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘Having spoken these words to the descendant of the Pandava lineage, the illustrious and wise Vyasa returned to his hermitage, for the performance of austerities.’

This parva has 1247 shlokas and thirty-six chapters.

Chapter 545(248): 17 shlokas

Chapter 546(249): 13 shlokas

Chapter 547(250): 9 shlokas

Chapter 548(251): 21 shlokas

Chapter 549(252): 27 shlokas

Chapter 550(253): 26 shlokas

Chapter 551(254): 21 shlokas

Chapter 552(255): 59 shlokas

Chapter 553(256): 30 shlokas

Chapter 554(257): 10 shlokas

Chapter 555(258): 16 shlokas

Chapter 556(259): 40 shlokas

Chapter 557(260): 15 shlokas

Chapter 558(261): 55 shlokas

Chapter 559(262): 41 shlokas

Chapter 560(263): 43 shlokas

Chapter 561(264): 73 shlokas

Chapter 562(265): 30 shlokas

Chapter 563(266): 68 shlokas

Chapter 564(267): 54 shlokas

Chapter 565(268): 40 shlokas

Chapter 566(269): 14 shlokas

Chapter 567(270): 29 shlokas

Chapter 568(271): 27 shlokas

Chapter 569(272): 26 shlokas

Chapter 570(273): 33 shlokas

Chapter 571(274): 31 shlokas

Chapter 572(275): 69 shlokas

Chapter 573(276): 13 shlokas

Chapter 574(277): 41 shlokas

Chapter 575(278): 32 shlokas

Chapter 576(279): 23 shlokas

Chapter 577(280): 33 shlokas

Chapter 578(281): 108 shlokas

Chapter 579(282): 44 shlokas

Chapter 580(283): 16 shlokas

Harana
means abduction and this parva is about Droupadi’s abduction by Jayadratha. Jayadratha abducts Droupadi. The Pandavas defeat Jayadratha and
free Droupadi, shaving Jayadratha’s head in the process. Jayadratha obtains a boon from Shiva. This section then tells the story of the Ramayana and Savitri and Satyavan, where Savitri brings her husband, Satyavan, back from the land of the dead.

Vaishampayana said, ‘Those maharathas, the best of the Bharata lineage, sported like immortals in the forest of Kamyaka, full of large numbers of deer. They gazed upon many forest regions in all directions and woods full of blossoms, beautiful according to the season. The Pandavas, the destroyers of enemies, equals of Indra and fond of hunting deer, roamed for some time in that great forest. One day, at the same time, all of them went out in the four directions, since those tigers among men, the scorchers of enemies, wished to obtain deer for serving the brahmanas. With the permission of maharshi Trinabindu, blazing in austerities, and Dhoumya, they left Droupadi in the hermitage. At that time, the famous king of the Sindhus, the son of Vriddhakshatra, was headed for the country of Shalva, desiring to get married.
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He was surrounded by a large retinue, as was appropriate for a king. With the many kings who were with him, he stopped in Kamyaka. In that deserted forest, he saw the famous Droupadi, the beloved wife of the Pandavas, standing at the gate of the hermitage. Her form was radiant in its supreme beauty. It illuminated the forest region, like lightning on a dark cloud. “Is she an apsara, a daughter of the gods, or an illusion created by the gods?” Thinking this, all of them joined their hands in salutation and gazed at the unblemished one.

‘The king of the Sindhus, Jayadratha, the son of Vriddhakshatra, was amazed and happy in his mind to see her unblemished limbs. He was deluded by desire and told King Kotikashya, “Who is this
one with the unblemished limbs? Is she human? I do not desire to marry, since I have seen this extremely beautiful lady. I will take her with me and return to my own abode. O gentle one! Go and find out who she is. Whom does she belong to and where has she come from? Why has the one with the beautiful eyebrows come to a forest that is full of thorns? She has beautiful hips. She is the beauty of this world. She is slender of waist and her teeth are beautiful. Her eyes are large. Will she love me now? I will consider my desires to be satisfied if I can obtain this supreme of women. O Kotika! Go and find out who her protector is.” On hearing these words, Kotikashya, who was adorned with earrings, descended from his chariot and approached her, the way a jackal approaches the wife of a tiger, and asked her.’

‘Kotikashya said, “O beautiful one! Who are you, standing alone in this hermitage and holding onto the lowered branch of a kadamba tree? O one with the beautiful brows! You are as radiant as the flames of a fire in the night, fanned by the wind. You are endowed with supreme beauty. Are you not scared of this forest? Are you a goddess, a yakshi or a danavi? Are you a beautiful apsara or a beautiful lady from the daitya lineage? Is your beautiful form that of a serpent princess? Are you a demoness who walks the forests at night? Are you the wife of King Varuna, or Yama, or Soma, or the lord of riches? Have you come from the abodes of Dhata, Vidhata, Savita, Vibhu or Shakra?
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You have not asked us who we are, nor do we know who your protector is. O fortunate one! Increasing your respect, we are asking you who your powerful lord is. Tell us the names of your relatives, husband and lineage, and also the details of what you are doing here. I am the son of King Suratha and men know me as Kotikashya. The one who is seated on that golden chariot,
like oblations being poured into the fire in an altar, is the king of Trigarta. His eyes are as long as a lotus and that brave one has the name of Kshemankara. The foremost son of the king of Kuninda is behind him, holding a giant bow in his hand. He is wide in the shoulders and is gazing at you in wonder. He always dwells in the mountains. A dark and handsome youth is standing near the pond. He is the son of Subala, king of the Ikshvakus. O one with the beautiful body! He is one who slays his enemies. There is one who is followed by twelve princes from Souvira, waving flags.
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All their chariots are yoked to red horses, like blazing fires at sites of sacrifices. Their names are Angaraka, Kunjara, Guptaka, Shatrunjaya, Sanjaya, Supravriddha, Prabhankara, Bhramara, Ravi, Shura, Pratapa and Kuhara. He
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is followed by six thousand on chariots and elephants, horses and infantry. O fortunate one! If you have heard of the name of Jayadratha, the king of Souvira, that one is he. After him, there are his undaunted brothers, Balahaka, Anika and Vidarana, and all the other brave and young ones from Souvira. But they are all inferior to the king in strength. The king is travelling with these companions, like Indra protected by the Maruts. O one with the beautiful hair! Now tell us what we do not know. Whose wife are you? Whose daughter are you?”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘Then princess Droupadi replied to the question that the foremost of the Shibis
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had asked. She glanced gently and let go off the branch. She gathered her silken upper garment and replied, “O son of a king! I know in my heart that it is
not proper for someone like me to address you thus. But there is no other man or woman here who can reply to your question. O fortunate one! I am alone here and must therefore, give my own reply. Listen. I am alone in this forest. Being always devoted to my own dharma, how can I speak to you then? I know that you are the son of Suratha and that men know you by the name of Kotikashya. O Shaibya! Therefore, I will tell you about my relatives.
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Listen. O Shaibya! I am the daughter of King Drupada and men know me as Krishna. I have chosen five men to be my husbands. You may have heard of them, since they come from Khandavaprastha. They are Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna and the two brave sons of Madri. The Parthas have left me here and have left in the four directions to hunt. The king
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has gone east, Bhimasena south, Jaya
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west and the twins to the north. I think that the time has come for those great charioteers to return. Depart after they have honoured you. Descend and unyoke your steeds. The great-souled son of Dharma loves guests and will be delighted to see you here.” Having thus spoken to Shaibya’s son, Drupada’s moon-faced daughter thought of the dharma of attending to guests and entered the extensive cottage, made out of leaves.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! When all the kings were seated, the king of Souvira heard Kotikashya’s words and replied to Shaibya. “On hearing her words, my mind is besotted by her. She is supreme among women. Why have you returned from there? O mighty-armed one! I tell you truthfully. Now that I have seen this lady, all other women seem like monkeys to me. She has stolen my heart, from the moment that I have seen her. O Shaibya! Tell me if that fortunate one is human.” Kotikashya said, “She is
the famous princess Droupadi Krishna. She is the revered queen of the five sons of Pandu. That respected one is the beloved of all the Parthas. O Souvira! Now that you have met her, let us happily proceed towards Souvira.” But Jayadratha, the lord of Souvira and Sindhu, was evil in his inclinations. He replied, “Let us go and see Droupadi.” He entered the empty hermitage, like a wolf entering a den of lions.

‘He himself was the seventh
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and spoke these words to Krishna. “O one with the beautiful thighs! Are you well? Are your husbands in good health? Are those whose welfare you desire in good health?” Droupadi replied, “Kouravya King Yudhishthira, Kunti’s son, is well. So am I, his brothers, and the others you have asked about. O son of a king! Accept this seat and water to wash your feet. Let me give you fifty deer for your breakfast. Kunti’s son, Yudhishthira, will himself give you black antelopes, spotted antelopes, deer, fawn,
sharabha
s,
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rabbits, white-footed antelopes, ruru,
shambara
,
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oxen, many deer, boar, buffaloes and many others of the deer species.” Jayadratha said, “You have already done everything to ensure a good breakfast for me. Come. Ascend my chariot and discover complete happiness. The Parthas are wretched and live in the forest. They have lost their fortune and have been dislodged from their kingdom. They have lost their intelligence. You should not serve them. It is not wise to be devoted to husbands who have lost their fortune. One should be united with a husband when he is united with prosperity, but no longer reside with him when the fortune is destroyed. The sons of Pandu are without fortune. Their kingdom has been destroyed for an eternal period. Out of affection towards them, you should not suffer that misery. O one with the beautiful hips! Be my wife. Abandon them and obtain happiness. With me, share the kingdoms of Sindhu and Souvira.” At
these words of the king of Sindhu, which made the heart tremble, Krishna left the spot, a deep frown on her face. The slender-waisted Krishna ignored his words in contempt and told the one from Sindhu, “Do not speak in this way again. Are you not ashamed?” Expecting her husbands to return soon, the unblemished one began to distract him with words, mingled with more words.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘Her beautiful face was crimson with anger. Her eyes were red with anger. Her knitted brows were raised. With her face suffused, Drupada’s daughter again spoke to the king of Souvira. “You have insulted famous maharathas whose poison is virulent. O foolish one! Do you have no shame? Each of them is like the great Indra and is devoted to his own task. They have not wavered in battle against yakshas and rakshasas. O Suvira! Never speak ill of an ascetic, who is full of knowledge and deserves to be praised, whether he roams in the forest or lives the life of a householder. Only dogs speak like that. You will descend into the mouth of hell that has now opened. I do not think that there is anyone in this great assembly of kshatriyas who can hold you by the hand and prevent this. You hope to defeat and kill Dharmaraja. The rutting elephant is like the peak of a mountain and roams around in the valleys of the Himalayas. You are like a man who wishes to chase it from its herd, armed only with a stick. You are childish. The immensely strong lion was asleep. You have woken it, trying to pluck eyelashes from its face. You will have to run away, when you see the wrathful Bhimasena. The immensely strong, terrible and fully grown lion was asleep in its mountainous cavern. Like a man who has kicked it, you wish to counter the angry and terrible Jishnu.
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You are like a mad man, who has stamped with his feet on the backs of two dark, fork-tongued serpents, virulent
in their poison. You are seeking to battle with two brave men, the youngest of the Pandavas. The bamboo, the reed and the plantain bear fruit. But then they die and do not grow in size. A crab conceives only so as to perish. Like that, you wish to grasp me, although I am protected by them.”

‘Jayadratha said, “O Krishna! I know all this and I know what those sons of kings are like. But you will not be able to frighten me with those threats now. O Krishna! We have all been born in the seventeen noble lineages.
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We possess the six qualities.
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O Droupadi! We think that the sons of Pandu are devoid of these. Therefore, swiftly ascend this elephant or this chariot. You cannot dissuade us with words alone. Hope, by lamenting piteously, that you are able to obtain the favours of the king of Souvira.”

‘Droupadi replied, “Though I am extremely powerful, the king of Souvira now takes me to be weak. He thinks that I am not sure of myself and therefore, I will plead and demean myself before the king of Souvira. Both Krishnas
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will follow my footsteps, riding together on a single chariot. Indra himself cannot abduct me, not to speak of a weak and wretched human. Kiriti,
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the slayer of enemy heroes, terrifies the hearts of enemies on his chariot. When he enters your army for my sake, he will consume it like the summer’s dry wood. Janardana,
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followed by Vrishni warriors, all the mighty archers from the Kekaya lineage, and all the other princes, will happily follow my footsteps. The arrows released from Gandiva by Dhananjaya’s arms are extremely swift and make a thunderous noise. They will make a terrible roar. The large showers of arrows released from Gandiva are extremely swift and are like locusts. There will be the roar of conch shells and the roar of leather gloves. The wielder of the Gandiva will release them repeatedly. When those arrows pierce your
chest, what thoughts will pass through your mind? You will see Bhima advance, with a mace in his hand. Madri’s two sons will stride in every direction, vomiting the poison of their anger. O wretched one! You will repent this for a very long time. In my thoughts, I have never been false to my husbands, extremely deserving of respect. Because of that truth, I will see you bound and dragged by the sons of Pritha. I may be violently seized by you. But you are incapable of frightening me. I will encounter those braves of the Kuru lineage and return again to Kamyaka forest.”’