Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (56 page)

‘Karna said, “These two
³⁵
have always been sustained, in all their actions, through your riches and your honour. What can be more surprising than that they should now offer advice that is not for your own good? How can the wise accept advice that is apparently good, rendered by a man with malice in his heart, though he hides his true intentions? In times of adversity, friends can neither do that which is good, nor that which is harmful. A man’s misery or happiness depends on destiny alone. A wise one, a fool, an old man, a child, one who has friends and one who has none finds anything anywhere. We have heard that in earlier times, there was a king named Ambuvicha. He was the king in Rajagriha and ruled over Magadha. He was a king who had no abilities. All that he did was to breathe air in and out. All his affairs were in the hands of his ministers. He had a minister named Mahakarni, who became the sole lord and thanks to the authority he had obtained, began to dishonour the king. That fool appropriated for himself everything that belonged to the king—his
objects of desire, his women, his jewels, his riches and all his power. But having obtained all this, his avarice only increased and having appropriated everything else, he coveted the kingdom. We have heard that the king had no abilities, he only breathed air. But despite this, and despite all his attempts, he
³⁶
could not take the kingdom away from him.
³⁷
O lord of the people! There was no human endeavour in him.
³⁸
The kingdom was his through destiny. If this kingdom is yours through destiny, it will remain with you without a doubt, notwithstanding the enmity of all the worlds. But if ordained otherwise, it will never remain with you, no matter how much you try. You are learned. Therefore, remembering all this, judging the honesty and dishonesty of your advisers, weigh the advice of those who have spoken for the good and those who have spoken for evil.”

‘Drona said, “We know that you say this out of malice and the reasons for that. You are wicked and to bring injury to the Pandavas, you find fault with us. O Karna! Know that what I have said is for the supreme welfare of everyone, for the propagation of the Kuru lineage. If you think this leads to evil, tell us that which brings supreme welfare. If my advice, leading to the supreme welfare I have described, is not followed, it is my opinion that the lineage of the Kurus will soon be destroyed.”’

‘Vidura said, “O king! There is no doubt that your friends have spoken that which brings your greatest welfare. But words do not remain with those who are unwilling to listen. O king! Bhishma,
the son of Shantanu and supreme among the Kurus, has spoken that which is for your greatest welfare. But you do not accept it. In many ways, Drona also said that which is for your welfare. But Karna, the son of Radha, does not believe this to be good for you. O king! After thinking about it, I do not find anyone who is a better friend to you than these two
³⁹
lions among men, supreme in their wisdom. These two are old in age, in wisdom and in their knowledge of the sacred texts. O lord over kings! They regard the sons of Pandu with equal eyes. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! O king! There is no doubt that in virtue and truthfulness, they are not inferior to Rama, the son of Dasharatha, or Gaya.
⁴⁰
Never before have they given you bad advice. Nor have they ever done that which brings you injury. Therefore, why should these tigers among men, whose strength comes from their truthfulness, give you advice that is not for your welfare? O ruler of men! These best of men are known in this world for their wisdom. They will never give you bad advice, nor say that which is wicked. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! It is my firm conviction that these two, well versed in what is right, will not take either side for the sake of personal gain. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! I consider this to bring the greatest welfare to you. O king! There is no doubt that the Pandavas are your sons, as Duryodhana and the others are.

‘“Therefore, those advisers who unwisely advise you against them, don’t really have your interests at heart. O king! If you have partiality in your heart,
⁴¹
it is certain it does you no good to encourage your inner feelings. O king! Therefore, I certainly do not think that those two great-souled and illustrious ones have said anything that leads to evil. However, you are not inclined towards that. O tiger among men! What those bulls among men have said about their
⁴²
invincibility is quite true. May you be fortunate. O king! Can the handsome
Pandava, Savyasachi Dhananjaya,
⁴³
ever be vanquished in battle by Maghavan
⁴⁴
himself? Can the great Bhimasena, with strong arms and the strength of 10,000 elephants, ever be vanquished in battle by the gods? Can anyone who wishes to live vanquish in battle the twins,
⁴⁵
well skilled in battle and like the sons of Yama himself? How can the eldest Pandava, in whom patience, compassion, mercy, truthfulness and valour are always present, ever be vanquished in war? With Rama
⁴⁶
on their side, Janardana
⁴⁷
as their adviser and Satyaki as their supporter, is there anyone whom they have not already vanquished in battle? Drupada is their father-in-law. Drupada’s son, Parshata Dhrishtadyumna and his other brave brothers are their brothers-in-law. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Knowing that they cannot be vanquished and knowing that their claim to the kingdom is prior to yours, you must act towards them in accordance with dharma.

‘“O king! On account of the act of Purochana, you have been stained by great infamy. You must cleanse yourself of that by behaving kindly towards them. O king! We have earlier waged a great war with King Drupada. Our side will be strengthened if we can get him as an ally. O ruler of the people! The Dasharhas
⁴⁸
are powerful and numerous. They will be where Krishna is. And where Krishna is, victory will certainly be there. O king! Unless cursed by destiny, who seeks to obtain through war that which can be obtained through conciliation? O king! Having heard that Pritha’s
⁴⁹
sons are alive, the inhabitants of the city and the country are extremely happy and eager to see them. Do what is pleasing to them. Duryodhana, Karna and Shakuni, the son of Subala, are evil, foolish and young. Do not listen to their words. O king endowed with all the qualities! Long ago, I told you that this kingdom and its subjects will be destroyed through Duryodhana’s fault.”’

‘Dhritarashtra said, “Shantanu’s son, the learned Bhishma, the illustrious rishi Drona and you yourself have spoken the truth and that which is best for me. There is no doubt that since those maharathas, the sons of Kunti, are the sons of Pandu, they are also my sons according to dharma. Since my sons are entitled to this kingdom, there is no doubt that Pandu’s sons are also entitled to this kingdom. O kshatta!
⁵⁰
Go and honourably bring them
⁵¹
and their mother here. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Also bring with them Krishna
⁵²
of divine beauty. It is through good fortune that the sons of Pritha are alive. It is through good fortune that Pritha is alive. It is through good fortune that those maharathas have obtained Drupada’s daughter. It is through good fortune that our strength has increased. It is through good fortune that Purochana is dead. O greatly radiant one! It is through good fortune that my great grief has been dispelled.”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Thereupon, on Dhritarashtra’s command, Vidura went to Yajnasena
⁵³
and the Pandavas. O king! Having gone there, that righteous man, learned in all the shastras, addressed Drupada appropriately and waited on him. He
⁵⁴
too received Vidura in the appropriate way and they courteously asked about each other’s welfare. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He
⁵⁵
saw there the Pandavas and Vasudeva.
⁵⁶
He embraced them lovingly and asked about their welfare. One after another, they worshipped Vidura, who was immensely wise. O king! On Dhritarashtra’s instructions, he repeatedly and affectionately asked Pandu’s sons about their welfare. O lord of the people! He then gave the Pandavas, Kunti, Droupadi and Drupada’s sons the many jewels and other riches that had been sent by the Kouravas through him.

‘In the presence of the Pandavas and Keshava,
⁵⁷
the supremely wise Vidura then addressed Drupada in modest words of affection. “O king! Listen to my words with your sons and ministers. Dhritarashtra, his sons, his ministers and his relatives have repeatedly and happily enquired about your welfare. O lord of men! He is delighted with this alliance with you. The immensely wise Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, and all the other Kouravas have enquired about your welfare in every way. The great archer Drona, the son of Bharadvaja and your beloved friend, has enquired about your welfare, embracing you. O king of Panchala! Dhritarashtra and all the other Kouravas regard themselves as fortunate at this alliance with you. O Yajnasena! This alliance with you has given them greater pleasure than acquiring a new kingdom.

‘“O lord! Knowing all this, you must allow the Pandavas to depart. The Kurus are extremely eager to see Pandu’s sons. These bulls among men have been away from home for a long time. They and Pritha must be eager to see their city. All the chief women of the Kuru lineage and all the inhabitants of the city and the country are waiting to see the Panchala princess, Krishna. O illustrious one! It is my view that without any more delay, you should issue instructions for the Pandavas to go there
⁵⁸
with their wife. O king! When the great-souled Pandavas have got your permission, I shall send word to Dhritarashtra through swift messengers, and the sons of Kunti can leave, with Kunti and Krishna.”’

This parva has a single chapter and there are only fifty shlokas.
Rajya-labha
means the acquisition of the kingdom.

‘Drupada said, “O greatly learned Vidura! It is indeed as you have told me now. O lord! I am also greatly delighted at the alliance that we have just concluded. It is proper that these great-souled brothers should now return home. But it is not proper that I should say this myself, in my own words. If that is what the brave Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, Bhimasena and Arjuna, the twins,
¹
who are bulls among men, and Rama
²
and Krishna, learned in the precepts of the law, desire, then the Pandavas should go there. Those two tigers among men
³
are always engaged in that which is good for them.”
⁴

‘Yudhishthira said, “O king! My followers and I are now dependent on you. We will do that which you tell us is for our own good.”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘At that, Vasudeva said, “I am of the view that they should go. But we must go by what King Drupada, who knows everything about the law, suggests.” Drupada replied, “Having thought about all the circumstances, my views are in agreement with what the mighty-armed and valiant Dasharha,
⁵
supreme among men, thinks. The time is right. There is no doubt that the greatly fortunate sons of Kunti, the sons of Pandu, are now as dear to me as they are to Vasudeva himself. Yudhishthira, Kunti’s son and the son of Dharma, himself does not seek their welfare as much as Keshava, tiger among men, does.” Then the great-souled Drupada gave them leave to depart. The Pandavas, Krishna and the extremely wise Vidura took with them Droupadi Krishna and the illustrious Kunti, and with pleasure and a leisurely pace, travelled towards the city of Hastinapura.
⁶

‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On hearing that the warriors were coming, Kourava Dhritarashtra sent the Kouravas to receive the Pandavas—the great archer Vikarna, Chitrasena, the supreme archer Drona and Kripa, the son of Goutama. Then, surrounded by them, the maharatha and radiant warriors slowly entered the city of Hastinapura, their resplendence increasing. Those tigers among men were freed from their grief and sorrow. The city became radiant with wonder. Dear to the hearts of the people, the Pandavas heard loud exclamations from the citizens, always eager to do what was dear to them.
⁷
“The tiger among men, the one of righteous conduct,
⁸
has returned. He always protected us with the rule of law, as if we were his near relatives. It seems without doubt as if the great King Pandu, who loved the forest, has returned today from the forest, to do that which pleases us and is good for our welfare. Can there be any greater joy for us, now that the brave sons of Kunti have returned to the city? If we have given alms and sacrificial offerings, if we have performed austerities, let the Pandavas remain in the city for a hundred autumns.” They
⁹
worshipped the feet of Dhritarashtra, Bhishma and others
who deserved it, and asking about the welfare of everyone in the city, entered the place earmarked for them at Dhritarashtra’s command.

‘When those immensely strong and great souls had rested for some time, they were summoned by King Dhritarashtra and the son of Shantanu.
¹⁰
Dhritarashtra said, “O son of Kunti!
¹¹
Listen with your brothers to what I have to say. So that strife does not arise again, go to Khandavaprastha. No one can harm you there, if you are protected there by Partha, as the thirty gods are by the wielder of the vajra.
¹²
Go to Khandavaprastha and take half the kingdom.” Those bulls among men accepted the king’s words and saluting everyone set out for that terrible forest. Having received half the kingdom, they entered Khandavaprastha.

‘With Krishna leading them, the invincible Pandavas went there and made it as beautiful a place as heaven. Led by Dvaipayana, the maharathas selected a pure and holy place, performed propitiatory ceremonies and measured out the land for a city. It was surrounded by moats as wide as the ocean and walls that rose high up into the sky. It was white like the clouds and like snow-covered mountains. This greatest of cities was as resplendent as Bhogavati
¹³
of the nagas. It was protected by terrible double-doored gates that were like two-winged Garudas. The high towers were like dense clouds, like many Mandara mountains. It was well covered with many weapons, with sharp spears and javelins like double-tongued snakes and impenetrable to the weapons of enemies. The splendid and spiralling turrets were guarded by warriors and well stocked with weapons of attack. There were many sharp hooks and shataghnis
¹⁴
and other weapons of war. Great iron chakras adorned that best of cities. The streets were wide and well laid out, preventing collisions among large chariots. It shone with many beautiful white mansions. Like a mass of dense clouds circled by lightning and reflecting the image of heaven, it came to be known as Indraprastha.

‘“In that lovely and beautiful place was the dwelling of the Kouravas.
¹⁵
It was full of every kind of treasure, like the palace of the treasurer
¹⁶
himself. O king! Brahmanas, the best of those who knew all the Vedas, went there. It was a desired habitation for those who knew all the tongues. Desiring to earn wealth, many merchants from every direction went there. Desirous of living there, came many artisans of every craft. Lovely gardens surrounded the city, with
amra
s,
¹⁷
amrataka
s,
¹⁸
nipa
s,
¹⁹
ashokas,
²⁰
champaka
s,
²¹
punnaga
s,
²²
nagapushpa
s,
²³
lakucha
s,
²⁴
panasa
s,
²⁵
shalas,
²⁶
tala
s,
²⁷
kadamba
s,
²⁸
bakula
s
²⁹
and
ketaka
s.
³⁰
These trees were beautiful, full of flowers, and bent down with the burden of their fruit.
Amloka
s,
³¹
lodhra
s,
³²
blossoming
ankola
s,
³³
jambu
s,
³⁴
patala
s,
³⁵
kubjaka
s,
³⁶
atimuktaka
s,
³⁷
karavira
s,
³⁸
parijata
s
³⁹
and many other kinds of trees were there,
always adorned with flowers and fruit and swarming with many different kinds of birds. There echoed the calls of frenzied peacocks and delighted cuckoos. There were houses that were as white as mirrors and bowers full of creepers. There were artificial hillocks designed to bring pleasure. There were ponds filled with clear water and charming lakes that were fragrant with lotuses and water lilies and adorned with many swans, geese and chakravaka
⁴⁰
birds. The beautiful ponds were surrounded by many trees and there were many beautiful and large tanks.

‘O great king! Living in that large kingdom populated by holy people, the joy of the Pandavas continued to increase eternally. Thus, because of the righteous conduct of Bhishma and the king,
⁴¹
the Pandavas came to live in Khandavaprastha. With the five great archers,
⁴²
each like an Indra, that best of cities was adorned like Bhogavati of the nagas. O king! Having settled them there and taking the consent of the Pandavas, the brave Keshava, with Rama,
⁴³
then went to Dvaravati.’
⁴⁴