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the five Pandavas to occupy a district near the Jumná, called Kháṇḍavaprastha, where they built Indraprastha (the modern Delhi), and, under Yudhishthira as their leader, subjugated much of the adjacent territory by predatory incursions (6573).

While they were living happily together, after these successes, the divine seer Nárada * came to them, and admonished them to take care that Draupadi was never the cause of their disunion, lest the same fate should befal them which happened to two brothers of the Daitya race, Sunda and Upasunda. Their story is then narrated †.

The remainder of the first book is filled with the adventures of Arjuna, who, to fulfil a vow, went to reside for twelve years in the forest (7775). One day, when he was bathing in the Ganges, he was carried off by the serpent-nymph Ulúpí, daughter of the king of the Nágas, whom he married (7809). Afterwards he married Chitrángadá, daughter of the king of Manipura (7826), and had a child by her named Babhruváhana (7883).

In the course of his wanderings Arjuna came to Prabhása, a place of pilgrimage in the west of India, where he met Krishna ‡, who here first formed a friendship with him (7888), and took him to his city Dwáraká (7899), where he received him as a visitor into his own house (7905). Soon afterwards, some of the relatives of Krishna celebrated a festival in the mountain Raivataka, to which both Arjuna and Krishna went. There they saw Balaráma in a state of intoxication (kshiva) || with his wife Revati (8912); and there they saw Subhadrá, Krishna's sister. Her beauty excited the love of Arjuna, who, after obtaining Krishna's leave, carried her off and married her (7937). In the twelfth year of his absence he returned with her to Indraprastha. Krishṇa and Balaráma followed him there, to celebrate Arjuna's marriage with Subhadrá, who in due time bore a son, named Abhimanyu (8025).

The Pandavas and all the people of Indraprastha then lived happily for some time under the rule of Yudhishṭhira (8050). One day Arjuna and Krishna went to bathe in the Jumná, and were resting themselves after sporting in the stream, when they were accosted by the god Agni in the form of a Bráhman, who begged them to help him in his attempts to burn the Kháṇḍava forest, sacred to Indra. It appeared that Agni's vigour had been exhausted by devouring too many oblations at a great sacri

* Nárada was one of the ten divine Rishis, sons of Brahmá. He was a friend of Krishṇa, and was inventor of the víná or lute. He often acts as a messenger of the gods. + It is briefly told in the 4th book of the Hitopadeśa.

It may be useful to enumerate some of the other names by which Krishna is known in the Mahá-bhárata, as follows: Vásudeva, Keśava, Govinda, Janárdana, Dámodara, Dáśárha, Nárayana, Hrishikeśa, Purushottama, Mádhava, Madhusúdana, Achyuta. (See Udyoga-p. 2560.) In the Draupadi-haraṇa (75) Krishna and Arjuna are called Krishṇau.

|| Compare Meghadúta, v. 51, where Balarama's fondness for wine is alluded to.

fice, and Brahmá had revealed to him that there was only one way of recovering his strength, namely, by consuming the whole Kháṇḍava forest with all its inhabitants (8149). This he had attempted to do, but was always frustrated by Indra, who by deluging the forest extinguished the fire. Agni therefore craved the assistance of Arjuna and Krishņa. Arjuna agreed to help him, provided Agni furnished him with a chariot, a bow, and divine arms. Upon this Agni applied to the god Varuna, who gave him the bow called Gáṇḍíva, two quivers called Akshayyau*, and a chariot having an ape for its standard (kapi-lakshana). These had been given to Varuņa by Soma, and now being handed over by Varuņa to Agni, were by him given to Arjuna (8183). Agni at the same time gave to Krishna as a weapon the celebrated discus (chakra) called Vajranábha, Sudarśana, &c. (8196), and a club called Kaumodakí (8200). With the assistance of these weapons, Arjuna and Krishna fought with Indra (8207), who, unable to overcome them, could no longer prevent Agni from completing the burning of the forest, and thereby recovering his energy.

SECOND BOOK or SABHA-PARVA.-This commences by describing how Arjuna and his brothers conquered various kings and subdued various countries (983) in the neighbourhood of Indraprastha. Yudhishthira, elated with these successes, undertook, with the assistance of Krishna (1223), to celebrate the Rájasúya, a great sacrifice, at which his own inauguration as paramount sovereign was to be performed. He could not, however, perform the Rájasúya till after the destruction of a tyrannical and powerful king named Jarásandha (626), who was the determined foe of Krishņa, but was challenged and slain by Bhíma. See Muir's Texts, vol. IV. p. 245.

Afterwards a great assembly (sabhá) was held; various princes attended, and brought either rich presents or tribute (1264). Among those who came were Bhíshma, Dhritarashtra and his hundred sons, Subala (king of Gandhára), Sakuni, Drupada, Salya, Drona, Kripa, Jayadratha, Kuntibhoja, Sisupála, and others from the extreme south and north (Drávida, Ceylon, and Káśmír, 1271) †. On the day of the inauguration (abhisheka) Bhíshma, at the suggestion of the sage Nárada, proposed that a respectful oblation (argha) should be prepared and offered in token of worship to the best and strongest person present; whom he declared to be Krishņa. To this the Pandavas readily agreed; and Sahadeva was commissioned to present the offering. Sisupála, however, (also called Sunítha,) opposed the worship of Krishna (1336. 1414); and, after denouncing him as a contemptible and ill-instructed person (1340),

* Sometimes called akshayye, as ishudhi is either masc. or fem.

+ The details in this part of the poem are interesting and curious as throwing light on the geographical divisions and political condition of India at an early epoch.

SECOND BOOK OR SABHA-PARVA.-THIRD BOOK OR VANA-PARVA. 103

challenged him to fight; but Krishna instantly struck off his head with his discus *. The events of the Rájasúya having cemented the alliance between Krishna and the Páṇḍavas (1625), the former, at the completion of the ceremony, returned to Dwáraká. After this, in a conversation between Duryodhana and Sakuni, in which the former expressed his determination to get rid of the Páṇḍavas, Sakuni, who was skilful at dice (akshakuśala), persuaded Duryodhana to contrive that Yudhishthira, who was very fond of gambling (dyútapriya), should play with him (Sakuni) (1721). Dhritaráshtra was then persuaded to hold another assembly (sabhá) at Hastinapur; and Vidura was sent to the Páṇḍavas, to invite them to be present (1993). They consented to attend; and Yudhishthira was easily prevailed on by Duryodhana to play with Sakuni. By degrees Yudhishthira staked every thing, his territory, his possessions, and last of all Draupadí. All were successively lost; and Draupadí, who was then regarded as a slave, was treated with great indignity by Duhśásana. He dragged her by the hair of the head into the assembly (2229. 2235); upon which Bhíma, who witnessed this insult, swore that he would one day dash Duhśásana to pieces and drink his blood † (2302). In the end a compromise was agreed upon. The kingdom was given up to Duryodhana for twelve years; and the five Páṇḍavas, with Draupadí, were required to live for that period in the woods, and to pass the thirteenth concealed under assumed names in various disguises. This concludes the Sabhá-parva.

THIRD BOOK or VANA-PARVA.—This, which is one of the longest of the eighteen, describes the life of the Páṇḍavas in the woods. They retired to the Kámyaka forest, and took up their abode on the banks of the Saraswatí (242), resolved to conquer back their kingdom at the end of the thirteenth year, if Duryodhana was not willing to give it up.

While they were resident there, Arjuna, at the advice of his grandfather Vyása, and at the desire of Yudhishthira (1459), went to the Himálaya mountains (1495), that he might perform there severe penance, and thereby obtain celestial arms from Indra, to secure his victory over the Kuru princes. On arriving at Indrakíla (the

* Duryodhana also, in a subsequent part of the Mahá-bhárata, shows his scepticism in regard to the divine nature of Krishna (Udyoga-p. 4368). The story of S'isupála and his destruction by Krishna forms the subject of the celebrated poem of Mágha. All the particulars of the narrative as told in this book of the Mahá-bhárata are given by Dr. Muir in his Sanskrit Texts, vol. IV. p. 171–180. The Vishnu-purána identifies S'iśupála with the demons Hiranya-kasipu and Rávaṇa (Wilson's transl. p. 437).

This threat he fulfilled. The incident is noticeable as it is the subject of the drama called Vení-sanhára.

mountain Mandara), a voice in the sky called out to him to stop (1498), and Indra appeared to him, promising to give him the desired arms if by his austerities he was able to obtain a sight of the god Siva (1513). Upon this Arjuna commenced a course of severe penance (1538); and after some time Siva, to reward him and prove his bravery, approached him as a Kiráța or wild mountaineer living by the chase, at the moment that a demon named Múka, in the form of a boar, was making an attack upon him. Siva and Arjuna both shot together at the boar, which fell dead, and both claimed to have hit him first. This served as a pretext for Siva, as the Kiráța, to quarrel with Arjuna, and have a battle with him. Arjuna fought long with the Kiráța *, but could not conquer him. At last he recognised the god, and threw himself at his feet. Siva, pleased with his bravery, granted him a boon; and Arjuna asked for the celebrated weapon Páśupata, to enable him to conquer Karṇa and the Kuru princes in war. Siva granted his request, and disappeared† (1650.1664). Then the guardians of the four regions (lokapáláh), Indra, Yama, Varuņa, and Kuvera, presented themselves (1670), and each enriched Arjuna with his peculiar weapons. Indra afterwards sent his chariot, with his charioteer Mátali, to convey Arjuna from the mountain Mandara to his heavenly palace (1715). Arjuna mounted the car (as his ancestor Dushyanta had done before him), and, amid instructive conversations with Mátali, arrived at the abode of his divine father, who embraced him, placed him near himself on his throne, and permitted him to be present at a heavenly festival.

Many other beautiful episodes are introduced into the Vana-parva; and long stories are narrated, such as that of Nala, to amuse and console the Páṇḍu princes in their banishment. An attempt to carry off Draupadí by Jayadratha, while the five brothers are absent on a shooting excursion, resembles in some respects the story of Sítá's forcible abduction by Rávaṇa in the Rámáyaņa (15572). The whole story of the Rámáyana is also told in this book (15945).

FOURTH BOOK or VIRATA-PARVA.-This describes the thirteenth year of exile, and recounts the adventures of the Páṇḍavas, who are obliged to live for this year incognito. They journeyed to the court of king Viráța, and entered his service in different disguises-Yudhishṭhira as master of the ceremonies and superintendent of the games (Sabhástára); Bhíma as cook (Paurogava); Nakula as groom or farrier (Aśwabandha); Sahadeva as herdsman (Go-sankhyátṛi); Arjuna as eunuch or companion and teacher of the women (Shaṇḍaka); and Draupadí as servant-maid and

* This scene forms the subject of a celebrated poem by Bháravi called the Kiráțárjuníya. Since writing the above I have received from Dr. Muir the greater portion of the 4th volume of his Sanskrit Texts, now passing through the press. Part of the episode has been translated by him at p. 194.

needle-woman (Sairindhrí, 77). Before offering themselves to Viráța, they deposited their bows and weapons in a Samí-tree growing in a cemetery, and hung a dead body in the branches to prevent any one from approaching it (170. 2147). Yudhishthira called himself a Bráhman and took the name of Kanka (23); Arjuna named himself Vrihannalá (54), and as a eunuch (tritíyám prakṛitim gatah) adopted a sort of woman's dress, putting bracelets on his arms and ear-rings in his ears (53), in order, as he said, to hide the scars caused by his bow-string (52). He undertook in this capacity to teach dancing, music, and singing to the daughter of Viráța and the other women of the palace (305), and soon gained their good graces (310).

Viráța's capital was called Matsya (or sometimes Upaplavya). There, four months after the arrival of the Páṇḍavas, a great festival was held, at which a number of wrestlers (malla) exhibited their prowess. Bhíma then astonished Viráța by dashing to the ground and killing the strongest of the wrestlers named Jímúta (362). Ten months of the year thus passed away (373), when one day Draupadí, who acted as servant-maid to the queen Sudeshņá, was seen by Viráța's general named Kíchaka. He fell in love with her (376), and tried every artifice to seduce her without effect, till at last, pretending to favour his advances, she agreed to meet him at a certain dancingroom (nartanágára, 735), having first consulted with Bhíma, who dressed himself in her clothes, kept the assignation for her, and had a tremendous fight (báhu-yuddha) with Kíchaka, pounding him with his fists into an undistinguishable mass of flesh. Bhíma then returned privately to his kitchen (786), and Draupadí to explain the death of Kíchaka, declared that he had been killed by her husbands, the Gandharvas (787). Upon this the relatives of Kíchaka made a great uproar, and attempted to burn Draupadi with the body; but Bhíma came to her rescue, tore up a tree* for a weapon, and slew more than a hundred men.

The scene now shifts and takes us back to Duryodhana and the Kurus. The spies who had been sent to ascertain, if possible, the retreat of the Páṇḍavas, and so prevent the fulfilment of the compact which required them to preserve their incognito, returned without discovering them. Having heard, however, the story of the death of Kíchaka, the spies repeated it at an assembly. Upon this, Suśarman king of Trigarta, whose country had been often ravaged by Kíchaka, proposed to make a raid into Viráța's territory for the sake of plunder, and to carry off his cattle (980). This he did (999), and Viráța, accompanied by all the Páṇḍavas except Arjuna (their thirteenth year of exile being just about to expire, 1001), invaded Trigarta to recover his property (1036). A great battle was fought, and Viráța was taken prisoner by Suśarman (1076). Bhíma as usual tore up a tree and prepared to rescue him; but Yudhishṭhira advised him not

* This was Bhíma's favourite way of exhibiting his enormous strength.

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