The Mahabharata
Book 1: Adi Parva
Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr.
[1883-1896]
SECTION C
(Sambhava Parva continued )
"Vaisampayana said, 'The monarch Santanu, the most adored of the gods and royal
sages, was known in all the worlds for his wisdom, virtues, and truthfulness (of
speech). The qualities of self-control, liberality, forgiveness, intelligence,
modesty, patience and superior energy ever dwelt in that bull among men, viz.,
Santanu, that great being endued with these accomplishments and conversant with
both religion and profit, the monarch was at once the protector of the Bharata
race and all human beings. His neck was marked with (three) lines, like a conch-shell;
his shoulders were broad, and he resembled in prowess an infuriated elephant.
It would seem that all the auspicious signs of royalty dwelt in his person, considering
that to be their fittest abode. Men, seeing the behaviour of that monarch of great
achievements came to know that virtue was ever superior to pleasure and profit.
These were the attributes that dwelt in that great being--that bull among men--Santanu.
And truly there was never a king like Santanu. All the kings of the earth, beholding
him devoted to virtue, bestowed upon that foremost of virtuous men the title of
King of kings. And all the kings of the earth during the time of that lord-protector
of the Bharata race, were without woe and fear and anxiety of any kind. And they
all slept in peace, rising from bed every morning after happy dreams. And owing
to that monarch of splendid achievements resembling Indra himself in energy, all
the kings of the earth became virtuous and devoted to liberality, religious acts
and sacrifices. And when the earth was ruled by Santanu and other monarchs like
him, the religious merits of every order increased very greatly. The Kshatriyas
served the Brahmanas; the Vaisyas waited upon the Kshatriyas, and the Sudras adoring
the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, waited upon the Vaisyas. And Santanu residing
in Hastinapura, the delightful capital of the Kurus, ruled the whole earth bounded
by seas. He was truthful and guileless, and like the king of the celestials himself
conversant with the dictates of virtue. And from the combination in him of liberality,
religion and asceticism, he acquired a great good fortune. He was free from anger
and malice, and was handsome in person like Soma himself. In splendour he was
like the Sun and in impetuosity of valour like Vayu. In wrath he was like Yama,
and in patience like the Earth. And, O king, while Santanu ruled the earth, no
deer, boars, birds, or other animals were needlessly slain. In his dominions the
great virtue of kindness to all creatures prevailed, and the king himself, with
the soul of mercy, and void of desire and wrath, extended equal protection unto
all creatures. Then sacrifices in honour of the gods, the Rishis, and Pitris commenced,
and no creature was deprived of life sinfully. And Santanu was the king and father
of all--of those that were miserable and those that had no protectors, of birds
and beasts, in fact, of every created thing. And during the rule of the best of
Kurus--of that king of kings-- speech became united with truth, and the minds
of men were directed towards liberality and virtue. And Santanu, having enjoyed
domestic felicity for six and thirty years, retired into the woods.
"And Santanu's son, the Vasu born of Ganga, named Devavrata resembled Santanu
himself in personal beauty, in habits and behaviour, and in learning. And in all
branches of knowledge worldly or spiritual his skill was very great. His strength
and energy were extraordinary. He became a mighty car-warrior. In fact he was
a great king.
"One day, while pursuing along the banks of the Ganges a deer that he had struck
with his arrow, king Santanu observed that the river had become shallow. On observing
this, that bull among men, viz., Santanu, began to reflect upon this strange phenomenon.
He mentally asked why that first of rivers ran out so quickly as before. And while
seeking for a cause, the illustrious monarch beheld that a youth of great comeliness,
well-built and amiable person, like Indra himself, had, by his keen celestial
weapon, checked the flow of the river. And the king, beholding this extraordinary
feat of the river Ganga having been checked in her course near where that youth
stood, became very much surprised. This youth was no other than Santanu's son
himself. But as Santanu had seen his son only once a few moments after his birth,
he had not sufficient recollection to identify that infant with the youth before
his eyes. The youth, however, seeing his father, knew him at once, but instead
of disclosing himself, he clouded the king's perception by his celestial powers
of illusion and disappeared in his very sight.
"King Santanu, wondering much at what he saw and imagining the youth to be
his own son then addressed Ganga and said, 'Show me that child.' Ganga thus addressed,
assuming a beautiful form, and holding the boy decked with ornaments in her right
arm, showed him to Santanu. And Santanu did not recognise that beautiful female
bedecked with ornaments and attired in fine robes of white, although he had known
her before. And Ganga said, 'O tiger among men, that eighth son whom thou hadst
some time before begat upon me is this. Know that this excellent child is conversant
with all weapons, O monarch, take him now. I have reared him with care. And go
home, O tiger among men, taking him with thee. Endued with superior intelligence,
he has studied with Vasishtha the entire Vedas with their branches. Skilled in
all weapons and a mighty bowman, he is like Indra in battle. And, O Bharata, both
the gods and the Asuras look upon him with favour. Whatever branches of knowledge
are known to Usanas, this one knoweth completely. And so is he the master of all
those Sastras that the son of Angiras (Vrihaspati) adored by the gods and the
Asuras, knoweth. And all the weapons known to the powerful and invincible Rama,
the son of Jamadagni are known to this thy illustrious son of mighty arms. O king
of superior courage, take this thy own heroic child given unto thee by me. He
is a mighty bowman and conversant with the interpretation of all treatises on
the duties of a king.' Thus commanded by Ganga, Santanu took his child resembling
the Sun himself in glory and returned to his capital. And having reached his city
that was like unto the celestial capital, that monarch of Puru's line regarded
himself greatly fortunate. And having summoned all the Pauravas together, for
the protection of his kingdom he installed his son as his heir-apparent. And O
bull of Bharata's race, the prince soon gratified by his behaviour his father
and the other members of the Paurava race: in fact, all the subjects of the kingdom.
And the king of incomparable prowess lived happily with that son of his.
"Four years had thus passed away, when the king one day went into the woods
on the bank of the Yamuna. And while the king was rambling there, he perceived
a sweet scent coming from an unknown direction. And the monarch, impelled by the
desire of ascertaining the cause, wandered hither and thither. And in course of
his ramble, he beheld a black-eyed maiden of celestial beauty, the daughter of
a fisherman. The king addressing her, said, 'Who art thou, and whose daughter?
What dost thou do here, O timid one?' She answered, 'Blest be thou! I am the daughter
of the chief of the fishermen. At his command, I am engaged for religious merit,
in rowing passengers across this river in my boat.' And Santanu, beholding that
maiden of celestial form endued with beauty, amiableness, and such fragrance,
desired her for his wife. And repairing unto her father, the king solicited his
consent to the proposed match. But the chief of the fishermen replied to the monarch,
saying, 'O king, as soon as my daughter of superior complexion was born, it was
of course, understood that she should be bestowed upon a husband. But listen to
the desire I have cherished all along in my heart. O sinless one, thou art truthful:
if thou desirest to obtain this maiden as a gift from me, give, me then this pledge.
If, indeed, thou givest the pledge, I will of course bestow my daughter upon thee
for truly I can never obtain a husband for her equal to thee.'
"Santanu, hearing this, replied, 'When I have heard of the pledge thou askest,
I shall then say whether I would be able to grant it. If it is capable of being
granted, I shall certainly grant it. Otherwise how shall I grant it.' The fisherman
said, 'O king, what I ask of thee is this: the son born of this maiden shall be
installed by thee on thy throne and none else shall thou make thy successor.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'O Bharata, when Santanu heard this, he felt no inclination
to grant such a boon, though the fire of desire sorely burnt him within. The king
with his heart afflicted by desire returned to Hastinapura, thinking all the way
of the fisherman's daughter. And having returned home, the monarch passed his
time in sorrowful meditation. One day, Devavrata approaching his afflicted father
said, 'All is prosperity with thee; all chiefs obey thee; then how is it that
thou grievest thus? Absorbed in thy own thoughts, thou speakest not a word to
me in reply. Thou goest not out on horse-back now; thou lookest pale and emaciated,
having lost all animation. I wish to know the disease thou sufferest from, so
that I may endeavour to apply a remedy.' Thus addressed by his son, Santanu answered,
'Thou sayest truly, O son, that I have become melancholy. I will also tell thee
why I am so. O thou of Bharata's line, thou art the only scion of this our large
race. Thou art always engaged in sports of arms and achievements of prowess. But,
O son, I am always thinking of the instability of human life. If any danger overtake
thee, O child of Ganga, the result is that we become sonless. Truly thou alone
art to me as a century of sons. I do not, therefore, desire to wed again. I only
desire and pray that prosperity may ever attend thee so that our dynasty may be
perpetuated. The wise say that he that hath one son hath no son. Sacrifices before
fire and the knowledge of the three Vedas yield, it is true, everlasting religious
merit, but all these, in point of religious merit, do not, come up to a sixteenth
part of the religious merit attainable on the birth of a son. Indeed, in this
respect, there is hardly any difference between men and the lower animals. O wise
one, I do not entertain a shadow of doubt that one attains to heaven in consequence
of his having begotten a son. The Vedas which constitute the root of the Puranas
and are regarded as authoritative even by the gods, contain numerous proof of
this. O thou of Bharata's race, thou art a hero of excitable temper, who is always
engaged in the exercise of arms. It is very probable that thou wilt be slain on
the field of battle. If it so happen, what then will be the state of the Bharata
dynasty, It is this thought that hath made me so melancholy. I have now told thee
fully the causes of my sorrow.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Devavrata who was endued with great intelligence,
having ascertained all this from the king, reflected within himself for a while.
He then went to the old minister devoted to his father's welfare and asked him
about the cause of the king's grief. O bull of Bharata's race, when the prince
questioned the minister, the latter told him about the boon that was demanded
by the chief of the fishermen in respect of his daughter Gandhavati. Then Devavrata,
accompanied by many Kshatriya chiefs of venerable age, personally repaired to
the chief of the fishermen and begged of him his daughter on behalf of the king.
The chief of the fishermen received him with due adorations, and, O thou of Bharata's
race, when the prince took his seat in the court of the chief, the latter addressed
him and said, 'O bull among the Bharatas, thou art the first of all wielders of
weapons and the only son of Santanu. Thy power is great. But I have something
to tell thee. If the bride's father was Indra himself, even then he would have
to repent of rejecting such an exceedingly honourable and desirable proposal of
marriage. The great man of whose seed this celebrated maiden named Satyavati was
born, is, indeed, equal to you in virtue. He hath spoken to me on many occasions
of the virtues of thy father and told me that, the king alone is worthy of (marrying)
Satyavati. Let me tell you that I have even rejected the solicitations of that
best of Brahmarshis--the celestial sage Asita--who, too, had often asked for Satyavati's
hand in marriage. I have only one word to say on the part of this maiden. In the
matter of the proposed marriage there is one great objection founded on the fact
of a rival in the person of a co-wife's son. O oppressor of all foes, he hath
no security, even if he be an Asura or a Gandharva, who hath a rival in thee.
There is this only objection to the proposed marriage, and nothing else. Blest
be thou! But this is all I have to say in the matter of the bestowal or otherwise,
of Satyavati.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'O thou of Bharata's race, Devavrata, having heard
these words, and moved by the desire of benefiting his father thus answered in
the hearing of the assembled chiefs, 'O foremost of truthful men, listen to the
vow I utter! The man has not been or will not be born, who will have the courage
to take such a vow! I shall accomplish all that thou demandest! The son that may
be born of this maiden shall be our king.' Thus addressed, the chief of the fishermen,
impelled by desire of sovereignty (for his daughter's son), to achieve the almost
impossible, then said, 'O thou of virtuous soul, thou art come hither as full
agent on behalf of thy father Santanu of immeasurable glory; be thou also the
sole manager on my behalf in the matter of the bestowal of this my daughter. But,
O amiable one, there is something else to be said, something else to be reflected
upon by thee. O suppressor of foes, those that have daughters, from the very nature
of their obligations, must say what I say. O thou that art devoted to truth, the
promise thou hast given in the presence of these chiefs for the benefit of Satyavati,
hath, indeed, been worthy of thee. O thou of mighty arms, I have not the least
doubt of its ever being violated by thee. But I have my doubts in respect of the
children thou mayst beget.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'O king, the son of Ganga, devoted to truth, having
ascertained the scruples of the chief of the fishermen, then said, moved thereto
by the desire of benefiting his father, 'Chief of fishermen, thou best of men,
listen to what I say in the presence of these assembled kings. Ye kings, I have
already relinquished my right to the throne, I shall now settle the matter of
my children. O fisherman, from this day I adopt the vow of Brahmacharya (study
and meditation in celibacy). If I die sonless, I shall yet attain to regions of
perennial bliss in heaven!'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Upon these words of the son of Ganga, the hair on
the fisherman's body stood on end from glee, and he replied, 'I bestow my daughter!'
Immediately after, the Apsaras and the gods with diverse tribes of Rishis began
to rain down flowers from the firmament upon the head of Devavrata and exclaimed,
'This one is Bhishma (the terrible).' Bhishma then, to serve his father, addressed
the illustrious damsel and said, 'O mother, ascend this chariot, and let us go
unto our house.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this, Bhishma helped the beautiful maiden
into his chariot. On arriving with her at Hastinapura, he told Santanu everything
as it had happened. And the assembled kings, jointly and individually, applauded
his extraordinary act and said, 'He is really Bhishma (the terrible)!' And Santanu
also, hearing of the extraordinary achievements of his son, became highly gratified
and bestowed upon the high-souled prince the boon of death at will, saying, 'Death
shall never come to thee as long as thou desirest to live. Truly death shall approach
thee, O sinless one, having first obtained thy command.'"
