A Brähmaëa Tells the Päëòavas About Drupada's Children 
King Janamejaya said: 
The Päëòavas were truly tigers among men. After the slaying of Baka the Räkñasa, O brähmaëa, what did they do next? 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Having slain Baka the Räkñasa, they continued to dwell in the same place, studying the Absolute Truth in the house of the learned brähmaëa. After some days had passed, another brähmaëa, strict in his religious vows, came to the brähmaëa's house to seek lodging. Having vowed to receive all guests whom God sent to his home, the learned brähmaëa, a leader of his community, gave full honor to the visiting sage and offered him shelter in his home. 
The wandering holy man began to tell many stories, and all the noble Päëòavas and Kunté worshiped him and sat down to hear. He then talked about various countries, describing their holy places, the deeds of their kings, and the diverse features of their capital cities. And as he finished his tale, Janamejaya, the learned man mentioned that in the Päïcäla country the beautiful princess Draupadé would be holding a most extraordinary svayaàvara to choose her husband. 
He also described the unusual birth of Dhåñöadyumna and Çikhaëòé, and mentioned how Draupadé, the daughter of King Drupada, was born from a great sacrifice, without passing through a mother's womb. Hearing the saintly one tell this most amazing news of world events, those noble men urged the sage to tell the stories again in detail. 
«How did these wonderful events take place–Drupada's son Dhåñöadyumna taking birth from the flames of a sacred fire, and his sister Draupadé arising from the middle of a sacrificial altar? How did Dhåñöadyumna then learn all the weapons from the great archer Droëa, and how could two loving friends like Droëa and Drupada become enemies? Who caused their friendship to break?» 
My dear king, when the exalted Päëòavas had thus urged him to speak, the sage began by explaining all about the birth of Princess Draupadé. 
The brähmaëa said: 
Near the gateway of the Ganges, [where the sacred river begins her earthly course,] there lived a mighty saint and ascetic named Bharadväja, who was most learned and faithful to his religious vows. Once when he had come to the Ganges to bathe, he saw the chaste Apsarä Ghåtäcé, who had come there first and had just taken her bath. Just then, as she stood on the riverbank the wind came and stole away her clothes. Seeing her without any covering, the sage could not help but desire her. Though he had carefully practiced celibacy since childhood, his mind was now entangled in the goddess, and in his excitement semen spilled from his body. The sage placed his seed in a pot, and thereafter Droëa took birth from that pot as the son of the sage, and the child thoroughly studied the Vedas with all their branches. 
Bharadväja had a friend named Påñata, a king who had a son named Drupada. Young Drupada would always go to the sage's retreat, and the powerful prince played and studied with Droëa as his companion. Then Påñata passed away and Drupada became king. Droëa heard that Lord Paraçuräma had retired to the forest and desired to give all His wealth to the brähmaëas. So the son of Bharadväja went to Him and said, «O noble twice-born, I am Droëa, and you may know that I have come in need of money.» 
Lord Paraçuräma said: 
All that is left to Me now is My own body and My weapons, so you may select, brähmaëa, either My body or My weapons. 
Çré Droëa said: 
Sir, it is best that You give me all of Your weapons and the technology to engage and withdraw them. 
The brähmaëa continued speaking to the Päëòavas: 
Lord Paraçuräma, born in the Bhågu dynasty, agreed to this request and presented all His weapons to Droëa, who accepted them and thus became a successful man. Droëa was jubilant, for he received from Paraçuräma the most highly regarded of all weapons, the brahmästra. He now excelled mankind. With his fierce new power, the son of Bharadväja was a tiger among men, and approaching King Drupada he said, «I am your old friend.» 
King Drupada said: 
An uneducated man cannot be a friend to a learned man, nor a chariotless man to a chariot warrior, nor a non-king to a king. What need is there for a friend of the past? 
The brähmaëa continued: 
The intelligent Droëa then and there made up his mind to seize the kingdom of Päïcäla, and he went directly to Hästinapura, the capital of the Kuru chiefs. The Kuru grandsire Bhéñma gathered up his grandsons and presented them to the learned Droëa to be his students, and he also awarded the professor all kinds of wealth. Determined to make Drupada suffer for his offense, the expert Droëa then assembled all his students and said to them, «When students have learned their weapons, they owe a debt to their teacher, which must be paid. There is something I desire that turns strongly in my heart, and you, my innocent boys, must promise me that when you have learned your weapons you will give me what I desire.» 
Later, when all the Päëòavas had mastered their weapons through diligent practice, Droëa again brought up the debt to the teacher and said, «The son of Påñata is a monarch named Drupada, who lives in the city of Chatravaté. You must immediately take away his kingdom and offer it to me.» 
The five sons of Päëòu then defeated Drupada in battle, arrested him, and brought him with his ministers before Droëa. 
Çré Droëa said: 
Once again, O ruler of men, I request your friendship. A non-king is not fit to be the friend of a king. Therefore, Yajïasena,* I strove to capture your kindom so that we could in fact be friends. You will be king of all the land to the south of the Bhägérathé River, and I shall rule the land to the north. 
The brähmaëa said: 
That great insult, though spoken in a minute's time, never left the king's heart, and he grew morose and thin. 
The brähmaëa continued: 
King Drupada was a frustrated man, and he journeyed to the dwellings of many a brähmaëa, seeking the very best of the twice-born, sages who had perfected the Vedic science of action. He had faith that a powerful son would defend his father and mitigate the grief that afflicted his mind, and he constantly thought, «I don't have outstanding children.» 
As his sons were born, the discouraged father said, «What a shame are these relatives!» and he was forever sighing, for he yearned to pay back Droëa. He fretted over the situation, but no matter how he tried he could find no way to counteract Droëa's power, discipline, learning, and deeds with his own warrior strength. 
Once, as the king was wandering about the bank of the Ganges where it flows near the Yamunä River, he came upon a sanctified dwelling of brähmaëas wherein each sage was fully trained, faithful to his religious vows, and greatly fortunate. Drupada, son of Påñata, particularly noticed two powerful sages named Yäja and Upayäja, who were brothers, peaceful and strict in their vows. Born in the family of Kaçyapa, they were advanced in their studies of the Vedas. The two brähmaëas, leaders of all the sages there, seemed perfect for Drupada's purpose. Confident that they would save him from his plight, he eagerly served them, satisfying all their desires.à 
After ascertaining the strength and learning of both, he submitted himself discreetly to the younger brother, Upayäja, who was particularly firm in his vows, and offered him all that he might desire. Rendering him menial service, addressing him in a most pleasing tone, and arranging all that he wanted, the king honored the sage in the traditional way and then said to him, «Dear brähmaëa, there must be a process by which I can get a son who will kill Droëa. Upayäja, do it for me and I shall give you ten millon cows, or whatever else is very dear to your mind, O illustrious brähmaëa. I have n o doubt about what I want, and I shall give you everything if you will only help me.» 
At this, the sage replied to him, «I do not care to perform such a rite.» 
To win his favor, Drupada continued to render him faithful service, and at the end of one year, O king, at the proper moment the exalted brähmaëa Upayäja said to Drupada in a gentle voice, «My older brother, while strolling in the forest by a waterfall, picked up a fruit that had fallen there, but he did not investigate the purity of the ground. I was following behind him, and I saw my brother's improper behavior. He ate an unclean fruit without any investigation. There were impurities clinging to the fruit, but he did not see them. And when a person does not consider cleanliness in one thing, why should he in another? When we were living in our guru's house and studying the Vedas, my brother would constantly eat other people's leftover alms, praising the quality of the food again and again without the slightest disdain. After carefully studying the matter, I have concluded that my brother is willing to work for profit, so go to him, O king, and he will help you perform your sacrifice.» 
Hearing these words from Upayäja and not liking them at all, the wise king kept his feelings to himself. After thinking over the matter, he went and worshiped the venerable saint Yäja and said to him, «My lord, engage me in the rite of sacrifice, and I shall certainly give you eighty thousand cows. I have suffered so much because of my conflict with Droëa, and you must now bring some happiness to my life. He is the greatest of Vedic scholars, and none is more skilled in the deadly brahmästra weapon. Therefore, when we had a quarrel between friends, he easily defeated me. There is no warrior or commander on the earth who is equal to that wise son of Bharadväja, who is now the chief military teacher of the Kuru empire. 
«His large bow, the length of three outstretched arms, is clearly unique, and when Droëa lets fly his impenetrable network of arrows, they simply remove the body of his foe. The son of Bharadväja has a brilliant mind, and he is an extraordinary archer. With his brähmaëa's power he will doubtlessly strike down a warrior's strength. He seems to be ordained to cut down the ruling class, as if he were Paraçuräma Himself, and there is no man on earth who can bear the terrible power of his weapons. 
«Like fire fed with the butter of rite, he shoots out his brähmaëa's power, and joining the battle, that first of brähmaëas burns up those of the warrior class. It has been ordained by the creator that among brähmaëas and kings a brähmaëa's power is greater. Thus with the mere strength of a king I am wretched, and so I resort now to the power of brähmaëas by approaching you, sir, who are greater than Droëa, for you are a supreme scholar in the Vedic science. I must attain a son who is invincible, who can bring down Droëa in battle. Do that work for me, Yäja, and I shall select for you ten million cows.» 
Yäja consented, saying, «So be it,» and he began to prepare for the sacrifice. Though Upayäja was unwilling, Yäja urged him to participate, saying, «Do it for your older brother's sake.» Finally Upayäja also promised to work the rite for the destruction of Droëa. The mighty ascetic Upayäja then briefed the king on the sacrificial procedure that would produce the son he desired. 
«O king,» he said, «exactly as you desire, your son will be a mighty warrior of extraordinary fire and strength.» 
King Drupada, determined to have a son who would kill Droëa, performed all the sacrificial rites with precision so that the process would be successful. Then at the end of the sacrifice, Yäja called upon Drupada's godly wife. 
«Come toward me, queen, daughter-in-law of Påñata, for twin children are ready to have you as their mother.» 
The godly queen replied, «O brähmaëa, I'm not quite prepared for the holy act. I have to rinse my mouth, and I'm holding the sacred scents in my hands. Please wait, Yäja, as a favor to me.» 
Yäja said: 
Your priest, Yäja, has already cooked the oblation in the fire, and Upayäja has blessed it with mantra. How then can it not fulfill the purpose of the rite? As for you, you may come forward or stay there as you like. 
The brähmaëa said [to the Päëòavas]: 
When Yäja had thus spoken, he made the sacrificial offering he had prepared so well, and from the fire of sacrifice arose a male child, glowing like the gods. The child was as radiant as fire and frightening to behold. He wore a beautiful helmet and armor and was equipped with a sword, a bow, and arrows. He repeatedly let out a thundering warrior cry. He mounted an excellent chariot and went forth on it, and all the people of Päïcäla who were present there joyously roared their approval. 
From the sky a great and invisible being declared, «Now the glory of Päïcäla is born, a king's son who will drive away the people's fear and banish the king's sorrow, for this child is born to kill Droëa!» 
Then from the middle of the sacrificial altar arose a beautiful and blessed maiden. All her limbs were lovely to behold, her waist was as attractive as a sacred altar, and everything about her was enchanting. Her color and complexion were radiant, for she was an immortal godly being who had taken human form as a Päïcäla princess. 
No other woman on earth could match her supreme beauty, and the fragrance of her body, equal to that of the blue lotus, wafted for many miles. She came forth in an exquisitely mature body with lovely curving hips, and the moment she appeared an invisible voice declared, «This best of all women is known as Kåñëä. and she is meant to bring many kings to ruin. In due time this thin-waisted woman will carry out the mission of the gods, and because of her, terrible fear will arise among the rulers of the earth.» 
Hearing this, all the people of Päïcäla roared like a host of lions, and the abundant earth could hardly bear their weight, so heavy were they with joy. Seeing the twins produced from the sacrifice, Queen Påñaté approached Yäja, eager to have her children, and said, «These two must not know anyone but me as their mother.» 
«So be it,» said Yäja, for he desired to please the king. 
With full meditation the learned sages then gave names to the two children: «Because this boy is bold and daring (dhåñöa) and fiercely courageous (dhåñëu), and because he follows the sacred law and was born from shining light (dyut), this son of Drupada will be called Dhåñöadyumna. 
«Because this girl will always call upon the name of Lord Kåñëa, and because her color is dark, she will be called Kåñëä.» 
Thus in a great sacrificial rite, twins were born to King Drupada. And Droëa, the mighty son of Bharadväja, brought the Päïcäla prince to his own home and gave him instruction in the military science. Droëa was a brilliant and liberal man. He knew that the future as ordained by God cannot be avoided, and so he acted thus to preserve his own glory. 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Hearing all of this, the Päëòavas felt as if darts had pierced their hearts, and all of them, mighty warriors, lost their normal composure and seemed to forget themselves. Then the ever-truthful Kunté, seeing them so confused and almost unconscious, said to her son Yudhiñöhira, «We have been living for a long time here in the brähmaëa's house, Yudhiñöhira, enjoying the charming city and collecting alms. And we have seen all the lovely forests and groves again and again, O enemy-tamer. If we see them again, they will not give us any more pleasure, nor can we go on collecting alms as before, O Kuru child. I think it good that we visit the land of the Päïcälas, if of course you agree. We have never seen that place, son, and it will be quite a pleasant experience. O mighty one, the Päïcälas are said to be a generous people who give freely in alms, and we have heard that King Drupada is very kind to brähmaëas. I do not think it good for us to stay a long time in one place, so if you agree, my son, let us go straight there. 
Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja said: 
Whatever you think should be done, I accept as the very best for us. But I don't know if my younger brothers want to travel or not. 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Kunté then spoke to Bhémasena, Arjuna, and the twins about the trip, and they all agreed. Then taking permission of the brähmaëa, Kunté and her sons departed for the charming capital city of the great soul Drupada. 
Vyäsa Tells the Päëòavas about Draupadé's Previous Life 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
When those great souls, the Päëòavas, were living in disguise, Vyäsadeva, son of Satyavaté, came to see them. Seeing that he had come, those fierce princes rose up from their seats, offered their prostrate obeisances, and, respectfully greeting him, stood reverently before him with folded hands. Thus honored by the Päëòavas, the holy sage was pleased and, greeting them in return and bidding them all sit down, spoke to them out of his deep love for the family of Päëòu. 
«Are you living according to the laws of God, carefully following the holy books? O mighty princes, do you honor without fail the saintly brähmaëas and all those who are worthy of honor?» 
The saintly Vyäsa, an incarnation of the Godhead, then spoke to them about their religious life and their practical plans, and after narrating for them many fascinating histories and tales, he said, «Once in a forest where ascetics dwell, there was a great-souled sage whose daughter was endowed with all good qualities. She was very lovely, with a thin waist, curving hips, and tender brows, but by her activities in a former life she suffered ill fortune and could not find a husband. She was unhappy, and to get a husband she began to perform austerities. By her severe self-denial, she pleased Lord Çiva. 
«Being satisfied with her, the lord said to the ascetic maiden, `Dear humble girl, I am a giver of blessings, and you may now choose a blessing from me, for I wish all good upon you.' 
«The girl was anxious to fulfill her wish, and so again and again she said to the lord, `I desire a husband who has all good qualities.' The eloquent Lord Çiva then replied to her, `My sweet child, you will have five husbands.' But the girl replied to Lord Çiva, `Please give me just one husband.' 
«Lord Çiva again spoke to her in the finest language and said, `Five times you told me to give you a husband, and so when you have gone on to your next body, it will be just as you said.' 
«That girl recently took birth in the family of King Drupada, and she is as lovely as a goddess. Her name is Kåñëä, and this faultless maiden, in the line of King Påñata, is destined by the decree of Providence to be the wife of the five Päëòavas. Therefore, mighty princes, enter the capital of Päïcäla, for when you win that girl, you will be very happy without a doubt.» 
Having thus spoken, the greatly fortunate grandfather of the Päëòavas, that great ascetic, bid Kunté and her sons farewell and departed. 
The Gandharva King Citraratha 
Çré Vaiçampäyana continued: 
Carefully protecting their mother, keeping her always in view in front of them, the Päëòavas, strong as bulls, set out toward the north on the smooth and recommended roads. The powerful sons of Päëòu traveled day and night until they reached the sacred Soma-çraväyaëa, on the bank of the Ganges. [As the sun set,] admirable Arjuna went in front of them, holding up a torch to illumine the path for safety. 
They came to a lovely deserted stretch of the Ganges, where a jealous Gandharva king had come to play in the water with his women, and he was in the water with the ladies, busy at his sport. As the Päëòavas all came down to the water's edge, the Gandharva king heard the noise, which stuck in his mind and drove that mighty being into a fierce rage. 
Seeing the valiant Päëòavas there with their mother, he brandished his awful bow and said, «When the forbidding twilight is stained with red and early evening enters, only the first eighty moments are fit for you people to be about. All the darkening time thereafter has been ordained for Yakñas, Gandharvas, and Räkñasas to move about as they will. The remaining time is meant for human beings to go as they please. If human beings in their selfish confusion come roaming about at those hours, we and the Räkñasas deal with those childish fools and drag them down. Therefore scholars of the Vedic science condemn all men — though they be kings and armies–who come to these waters at night. 
«Stay back where you are! Don't come close to me! Why do you not recognize me, who have come here to the waters of the Bhägérathé? Know that I am the Gandharva Aìgäraparëa, and I live by my own power. I am proud and jealous, for I am the dear friend of the great Kuvera. This forest along the Ganges, also called Aìgäraparëa, is mine, and the colorful settlement called Väkä wherein I dwell is also mine. Not even a dead body is allowed here, nor a living beast with horns, nor gods, nor human beings. How then do you people dare come here?» 
Arjuna said: 
You fool, in night or day or the time between, who dares claim the ocean or the Himälaya Mountains or this sacred river? We are ready with power, and we dare to approach you now at the wrong time, for it is certain that only weak and powerless men will obey you in the hour of your cruelty. 
The Ganges flows freely from a golden peak in the Himälayas, and transforming into seven branches, she goes to the waters of the sea. She is a sacred river, Gandharva, and she flows among the gods in heaven as the Ekapravä, on earth she merges with the Alakananda, and she flows among the forefathers as the Vaitaraëé, which the sinful can never cross. That is what Dvaipäyana Vyäsa has said about this river. She is a godly river, and you cannot obstruct her, Gandharva, or drive people away from her, because her pure waters lead to the kingdom of God. How could you even think to close off this river? That is not the eternal law. How can we not bathe in the pure waters of the Ganges as much as we desire? Her waters cannot be obstructed by your mere words. 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Hearing these words, Aìgäraparëa was furious, and bending back his bow, he fired blazing arrows that shot out like deadly poisonous snakes. But Arjuna, whirling his torch like the finest of shields, drove away every one of the arrows. 
Arjuna said: 
These scare tactics are not effective with those who know their weapons. Rather, such attempts to frighten collapse like bubbles and foam when used on an expert fighter. I recognize that all Gandharvas are superior to human beings. Therefore I shall employ divine weapons, Gandharva, and not mere magic. 
Båhaspati, the guru of Lord Indra, long ago gave this weapon, called ägneya, unto Bharadväja. Bharadväja then taught it to Agniveçya, and Agniveçya delivered this fiery weapon of the gods to my guru. And he, Droëa, the best of brähmaëas, gave it unto me. 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Having thus spoken, the furious Päëòava released his blazing ägneya weapon against the Gandharva, burning his chariot to ashes. Stunned by the missile's heat and bereft of his chariot, the mighty Gandharva tottered and fell head first toward the ground. But Arjuna seized him by the hair on his head, which was adorned with wreaths, and dragged him back to show his brothers. By this time the Gandharva was unconscious from the effect of the weapon, and his wife, named Kumbhénasé, desperate to save her husband's life, surrendered to Yudhiñöhira and begged for asylum. 
The Gandharva lady said: 
O lord, my name is Kumbénasé. I am a Gandharva woman, and I have come to you for shelter. Please, I beg you, Mahäräja, forgive and protect us and release my husband. 
Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja said: 
Who would kill an enemy who has been defeated in battle and deprived of his glory, especially one who is the husband of a good woman and who is no longer resisting? Arjuna, O slayer of enemies, release him. 
Arjuna said: 
Take him, brother. Go now, Gandharva! Don't worry, for Yudhiñöhira, the Kuru king, grants you immunity from all punishment. 
The Gandharva said: 
I admit defeat, and I am giving up my former name Aìgäraparëa, for I can no longer be proud of my strength or my name in the public assembly. With all my pride I tried to fight, with Gandharva magic, a younger, stronger man who holds divine weapons. But even in defeat I have achieved an excellent boon, for I have had the chance to know you. 
By the fire of your weapon my fabulous chariot was burned to ashes, and so I, who was known as Citra-ratha, «he of the wonderful chariot,» have now earned the name Dagdha-ratha, «he of the burnt chariot.» 
Whatever knowledge I have of the military science I acquired by my previous austerities, and I shall now give it all to the great soul who gave me back my life. When a warrior saves the life of an enemy whom he has quickly stunned and defeated and who has come to him for shelter, what beautiful gifts does he not deserve? 
First I give to you the science known as cäkñuñé, which Manu gave to Soma, who gave it to Viçvävasu, who gave it to me. If this science falls into the hands of a coward, though given by a guru it automatically vanishes. So, I have told you the lineage of this science, and now I shall describe its power. So listen carefully. 
Anything within the universe that a person wishes to see, he may see with this science, and exactly in the manner he desires. If a person stands on one foot for six months continuously, he may obtain this knowledge, but I present it to you, for so I have vowed. It is by this technology, O king, that we Gandharvas rise above humankind, for by the power of this science we have become virtually indistinguishable from the gods. 
O best of men, I now wish to offer each of you five brothers a hundred horses of the type bred by the Gandharvas. The mounts of the gods and Gandharvas exude a celestial fragrance, and they move at the speed of the mind. Even when their energy is spent, they do not diminish their speed. 
Long ago, a thunderbolt was fashioned for Indra so that he could pull down the mighty demon Våtra. When the thunderbolt struck Våtra's head, the thunderbolt shattered into ten, and then a hundred pieces. The gods divided up the pieces of the thunderbolt, and each god honored his piece of the divine weapon. Since then, it is common in this world that whatever brings one fulfillment in one's life is said to be an expansion of the original thunderbolt. Thus spiritual knowledge is a brähmaëa's thunderbolt; a warrior's thunderbolt is his chariot; charity is said to be the merchant's thunderbolt, for thus does the mercantile class gain future wealth and heaven; and honest work, done to satisfy the Supreme, is said to be the worker's thunderbolt. Warriors must also depend on their horses, and thus good horses that cannot be easily slain are, too, the thunderbolt of kings. Vaòavä gave birth to the race of chariot steeds, and therefore those who drive the horses are called süta. 
These Gandharva horses change color at will and fly at the speed they desire. And simply by your desire they will appear before you, ready to serve. Indeed, these horses will always honor your wish. 
Arjuna said: 
Whether you have given these gifts out of love or in fear of your life, Gandharva, I do not want to take your science or wealth or even your accumulated knowledge. 
The Gandharva said: 
It is clearly seen that when people actually sit down together and unite in friendship, they derive a special pleasure. You have given me the gift of life. I am very moved by what you have done, and I therefore give you this science. I shall take from you the superb ägneya weapon, and thus our friendship will long endure, O best of the Bharata race. 
Arjuna said: 
I then choose from you the gift of your horses, and may our alliance last forever. Now, my friend, tell me how people can be free of their fear of you Gandharvas. 
Arjuna continued: 
Tell me the reason, Gandharva, why you attacked us as we traveled at night, though we are knowers of the Supreme, O tamer of enemies. 
The Gandharva said: 
You had no sacred fire or sacrificial offerings, nor did you place a priest before you. Thus I attacked you, O son of Päëòu. O hero, the Yakñas, Räkñasas, Gandharvas, Piçäcas, Uragas, and human beings all discuss at length the glorious Kuru dynasty. I myself have listened to godly sages like Närada narrate the histories of your wise forefathers. And as I wander all about the ocean-skirted earth, I have witnessed the power of your family. I am familiar with the military professor who taught you the Dhanur Veda, for the illustrious son of Bharadväja is known throughout the three worlds. 
O tiger of the Kurus, I know well that six mighty beings–the lord of justice, the Wind, Indra, the twin Açvins, and your own father, Päëòu–are the force behind the Kuru empire; these forefathers of yours are truly the best among gods and men. Thus it is not surprising that all you Päëòava brothers are divine beings, great souls who excel in all the weapons, heroes who faithfully act for the good of all creatures. Actually, all of you possess a spiritual mind and intelligence, for your consciousness is fixed on the Supreme Soul. Although I knew this, Pärtha, I still attacked you on the riverbank. In the company of women, Kauravya, a man cannot tolerate it when he sees that he has been slighted, and he immediately tries to assert his own strength and prestige. At night, our strength very much increases, and that is why, Kaunteya, my wife and I allowed ourselves to become so angry. 
O glory of the Täpatyas, you have defeated me in battle, but listen now as I tell you the principles by which you gained your victory. Celibacy in the service of God is the best religious principle, and you have regularly practiced it. Any kñatriya warrior who lives a promiscuous life should be opposed in battle at night, for there is no way he will keep his life. But even though a king may live a lusty life, he will be victorious in battle over all the creatures of the night if he is led by a saintly priest. Therefore, my dear Täpatya, whatever benefit men hope to achieve, they must engage self-controlled priests in the task. Those who know and follow the laws of God, who are clean in body and mind, who are devoted to the essence of the six-limbed Veda, and who speak the truth should be the priests of kings. Victory on earth and then promotion to heaven are assured for a king whose priest knows and speaks the principles of religion, who practices them in his own life, and who is thus pure in spirit. A king who appoints and follows a fully qualified priest will gain all that he lacks and preserve all that he has. 
A monarch who abides by the decision of his priest may aspire to attain all the ocean-skirted earth, with handsome Mount Meru as its crown. O Täpatya, no king who does not serve a brähmaëa will ever conquer the world through family alliances or naked heroism. O glory of the Kurus, understand that it is a kingdom led by brähmaëas that can be preserved for a long time. 
The Story of Tapaté 
Arjuna said: 
As you spoke, you called me Täpatya, but I want to know what Täpatya actually means. I know that we sons of Kunté are called Täpatya after a woman named Tapaté, but who is she? Certainly, good man, we all desire to know the truth in this regard. 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Thus questioned, the Gandharva narrated to Arjuna, son of Kunté, a story that had been heard throughout the universe. 
The Gandharva said: 
I will be glad to tell you this pleasurable story, Pärtha, as it actually happened and in its entirety, for this story increases our enthusiasm to lead a religious life, and you are distinguished among those who lead such a life. Listen to me now with single-minded attention, and I shall tell you why I referred to you as Täpatya. 
Vivasvän, the sun-god, who covers the firmament with his benevolent rays, had an incomparable daughter named Tapaté. O mighty son of Kunté, this girl, a younger sister to Sävitré, devoted herself to religious austerities and became famous throughout the three worlds. There was not a single woman among the gods, Asuras, Yakñas, Räkñasas, Apsaräs, or Gandharvas who had beauty like hers. Each of her limbs was flawless, and the shape and proportion of her body was gorgeous. Her eyes were large and dark, her behavior ideal, her character saintly, her style of dress enchanting, and her moods both fiery and subdued at the proper times. 
O Bhärata, her father, the Sun, felt that in all the three worlds there was no suitable husband who could equal her in beauty, behavior, lineage, and education. Seeing that his daughter had reached the maturity of her youth and that she must be given in marriage, her father could find no peace, for he worried about the marriage of his daugher. 
At that time, O Arjuna, the leader of the Kuru dynasty was King Saàvaraëa, the mighty son of Åkña, and this monarch used to always worship the sun with offerings of garlands and arghya. The king never failed to perform his daily religious duties and executed various kinds of fasts and other austerities. He was eager to serve, free of false pride, and clean in body and mind, and every day, as soon as the sun would rise, that popular Kuru monarch would honor him with real devotion. 
Seeing him to be a grateful, religious man whose beauty was unrivaled on earth, the sun-god considered Saàvaraëa a suitable husband for his daughter Tapaté. He desired to give his daughter to Saàvaraëa, that excellent king born in a celebrated and noble family, for as the sun lights up the heavens with his fiery rays, so did King Saàvaraëa by his radiance light up the earth, Kauravya. And, Pärtha, as Vedic teachers worship the rising sun, so did all the citizens worship Saàvaraëa. For his well-wishers, and even for those who wished him ill, the handsome king appeared to be more agreeable than the moon and more fiery than the sun. And so, my dear Kauravya, the lord of the sun decided to personally give his daughter to that most qualified and virtuous king. 
Now, once that splendid king of wide fame went to hunt in a mountain wood, and as he roamed about, his incomparable horse could not endure the pace and, afflicted by hunger, thirst, and exhaustion, died suddenly on the mountain slope. When his horse died, Pärtha, the king continued to roam the mountain on foot, and he came upon a large-eyed maiden unlike any other in this world. He was alone, and so was she, and the mighty warrior, a tiger of a man, approached her and stood staring, for his eyes would not leave her. From her beauty the king concluded that she might be the goddess of fortune herself, but then he reasoned that she must be the splendor of the sun, fallen to the earth. Simply by standing on that mountain plateau, the dark-eyed woman so transformed the forest with its trees, bushes, and creepers that everything appeared to be bathed in gold. 
Beholding her beauty, the king realized how ordinary were the bodies of all other creatures, and thatöhe had now achieved the perfection of his created eyes. The monarch thought that anything he had ever seen since his birth did not compare to the beauty of this woman. She had captured his mind and sight with the tight ropes of her excellent qualities, and he did not move from that place, nor was he aware of anything but her. Only with the greatest enterprise. churning all the worlds of the gods, Asuras, and men, had the creatoröfashioned the beautiful sight of this woman. Thus King Saàvaraëa judged from her blessed wealth of beauty that there was no other girl like her in the world. 
The monarch had been raised in a most noble family, and upon seeing that most noble girl he was pierced by the arrows of lust, and anxiety filled his mind. Burning in the fierce fire of mind-stirring Cupid, the bold king said to the glorious but shy girl, «Who are you, and who is taking care of you, shapely maiden? Why do you wander about here alone in this uninhabited forest, sweet-smiling one? All the limbs of your body are faultless creations, and although you wear all the most desirable jewelry, you yourself adorn your adornments, for you are the most desirable jewel. I do not think you are a woman of the gods, or of the Asuras, Yakñas, Räkñasas, or Gandharvas, or of those who dwell in Bhogavaté. Lovely lady, whatever I have ever seen or heard of cannot compare to you, for the luster of your beauty is maddening.» 
Afflicted with desire in that deserted forest, the king thus spoke to the girl, but she did not say anything at all in reply. And as the king yearned and begged for her love, that girl of wide and lovely eyes suddenly vanished from the spot as if she were a streak of lightning that flashes for but a moment in the clouds. 
The king ran all about like a madman, searching the forest for that girl, whose eyes were like the soft petals of a forest-born lotus. Not finding her, he grieved much in that lonely forest, and for a time the exalted Kuru king was senseless with grief. 
The Gandharva continued: 
When the king, deluded by desire, could not find her, he who had felled the hosts of his enemies now fell upon the surface of the earth. As he lay there on the ground, she revealed herself again to the king, with her full, wide hips and a lovely smiling face. Now that most graceful girl did speak to the king, the pillar of the Kuru dynasty, whose mind was devastated by desire for her, and her voice was sweet and gentle. 
«Please rise–rise, O tiger of kings. May you be blessed. It is not right for you to let the world see you so bewildered.» 
Addressed in such a kind way, the king looked up and saw the shapely woman standing in front of him. She looked shyly at him with her dark, enchanting eyes, and the king, filled with the fire of mind-stirring Cupid, said to her with anxious tones, «O woman, when you shyly glance at me with your deep, dark eyes, I am so struck with desire for you that my very life would leave me, for your beauty is maddening. Accept me then as I have accepted you. Because of you, with your large and lovely eyes, this desire pierces me with sharp arrows, for you shine like the lotus whorl. I have been helplessly seized by the great snake of desire, good woman. You with your full, wide hips and pure shining face–you must take me. My life now depends on you–you whose speech is like the sweet song of the Kinnaras. Your every limb is lovely and perfect, and your face is like the lotus or the moon. O shy one, I have no power to live alone without you. Therefore, woman, be merciful to me! You with your dark enchanting eyes–you cannot reject me when I love you so. Gentle girl, you must save me by means of your love. Come to me now by gändharva marriage. my shy and lovely lady, for the gändharva wedding is the most beautiful.» 
Tapaté said: 
I do not rule my own life, O king, for I am a young girl under her father's care. If you love me, then request my father to give me to you. O king, just as I have completely captured your mind and your very life simply by your seeing me, so have you stolen my heart and my very life. But I do not rule my own body, noble king, and therefore I cannot go near you. Certainly women cannot protect themselves in this world, and therefore they must be cared for. As a young girl, I am naturally dependent on my father. 
Please don't misunderstand me. What young girl in all the worlds would not eagerly desire an affectionate husband like you, who is born in such a famous and noble family? Now that things have come to this point, go and ask my father, the Sun. Be submissive and please him with your austerities and religious vows. If he wishes to give me to you, O mighty warrior, then, dear king, I shall always be your most obedient wife. O noble warrior, I am Tapaté, the younger sister of Sävitré and the daughter of Savitä, he who lights up the world. 
The Gandharva said: 
Having thus spoken, the faultless girl quickly rose into the sky and was gone, and the king again sank to the ground in that very place. His minister and traveling attendant found the king, who stood as tall as Indra's hoisted banner, lying now upon the earth in the vast and lonely forest. Seeing the grand archer without his steed and fallen on the earth, the king's trusted minister burned as if with fire. Quickly he came to his ruler, bewildered out of affection for his king, and raised from the earth the lord of earthly rulers, who was stunned with desire for the Sun's daughter. The minister was elderly in age and wisdom, and he lifted the king like a father raising his fallen son. 
The minister's feverish concern was relieved as he lifted the monarch, and he said to the king with kind and noble words, «Do not fear, O tiger of men, for all good must come to you, O sinless one.» The minister reasoned that the king must have been exhausted by hunger and thirst, and thus he who felled the enemies in battle had himself fallen on the bare ground. Now he bathed the king's head with cool, refreshing water, as fragrant as lotuses, taking care not to touch the royal crown. 
Thereafter, when the mighty king had regained his strength and vigor, he sent away the entire army but for the one minister. By the king's order, the army departed, and the king again sat down on that mountain plain. The king then cleansed himself and folded his hands in prayer, and desiring to worship the sun, he stood on that fine mountain and raised up his arms. Then the mighty King Saàvaraëa mentally sought the exalted sage Vasiñöha, who was his royal priest. When the king remained standing in that position day and night, the learned sage finally came to him on the twelfth day. The great sage was a God-realized soul, and by a spiritual process he knew that Tapaté had stolen the king's mind. The virtuous Vasiñöha wanted to help the excellent king, who was so enagaged in austerities, and he spoke with him. Then as the best of kings looked on, the exalted saint, shining like the sun, journeyed up into the heavens to meet with the mighty light-maker. The sage respectfully approached the resplendent Sun and, folding his hands with respect and affection, introduced himself, saying, «I am Vasiñöha.» 
The dazzling Vivasvän, lord of the sun, replied to the exalted sage, «You are welcome, great saint. Please tell me your desire in coming here.» 
The sage Vasiñöha said: 
O mighty Sun, on behalf of Saàvaraëa I ask you for your daughter named Tapaté, the younger sister of Sävitré. The king I represent is truly glorious, for he is knowledgeable both in spiritual and worldly affairs, a broad-minded man, and a qualified husband for your daughter, O sky-traveler. 
The Gandharva said: 
At these words from Vasiñöha, the Sun was convinced, and he replied, «Yes, I must give her.» He congratulated the sage with these words: «Saàvaraëa is the best of kings, you are the best of sages, and Tapaté is the best of women, so why marry her to another?» 
Then the fiery Sun presented Tapaté, whose limbs were flawless, to the great soul Vasiñöha, and the illustrious sage dutifully accepted her on the king's behalf. Granted his leave, Vasiñöha returned to where the celebrated Kuru leader was waiting. The king was lost in romantic thoughts, thinking only of Tapaté, and when he saw that child of the gods, with her lovely smile, coming toward him with Vasiñöha, he shone with jubilation. The pure and exalted sage Vasiñöha arrived just as the king completed his difficult twelve-night religious observance. Thus by his austerity, by worshiping the munificent shining god, and by the power of Vasiñöha, Saàvaraëa obtained the woman he loved. On that glorious mountain frequented by gods and Gandharvas, that best of men took the hand of Tapaté by the rules and rites of the holy path. The saintly king then desired to relax and sport on that very slope with his beloved wife, and taking permission from Vasiñöha, he placed his faithful minister in charge of the town and country and the cavalry and army. Vasiñöha approved the king's plan and went his way, and the Kuru monarch relaxed and sported on the mountain like an immortal god. 
With his beloved wife he enjoyed in the forests, rivers, and lakes of that mountain for twelve years. But during those twelve years, the god of heaven did not rain anywhere within the kingdom of Saàvaraëa, neither in the city nor in the country. The capital of the departed king became like a city of ghosts, for it was filled with starving, joyless people who passed their days in anguish, their bodies all but dead. Learning of this sorry state of the realm, the godly sage Vasiñöha went at once to the mighty king and brought the tiger of monarchs, who had lived twelve years with Tapaté, back to his city. When the tiger of kings again entered his city. the lord of heaven showered rains as he had done before. The city and country rejoiced with the greatest of joy, protected once again by the best of kings, [who now set his mind on the Lord]. And the monarch, joined by his faithful wife Tapaté, offered sacrifice to God for twelve years, with rites and remunerations like those offered by Indra, lord of the wind. 
The glorious woman named Tapaté, the daughter of the sun, was your ancestor, Pärtha, because in Tapaté King Saàvaraëa begot a son named Kuru, the forebear of your dynasty. And so, Arjuna, best of the self-disciplined, you are indeed Täpatya. 
The Story of Vasiñöha and Viçvämitra 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Hearing the words of the Gandharva, Arjuna glowed with full satisfaction, his face as bright as the full moon. The power of Vasiñöha's austerities awakened in him intense curiosity, and that grand archer, the glory of the Kurus, said to the Gandharva, «I would like to hear the true history of the sage you call Vasiñöha. Please tell me, who was that exalted saint who served as the royal priest to my ancestors? Explain this to me, Gandharva lord.» 
The Gandharva said: 
He was a person who conquered lust and anger, which are invincible even for the gods. It is said that lust and anger reverently massaged his feet. When Viçvämitra offended him, he kept his powerful rage within himself and was so magnanimous that he did not destroy the Kuçikas. Stricken by the tragic loss of his sons and fully capable of destroying the culprit Viçvämitra, he did not even consider such a violent act of retaliation. And he did not overstep the lord of death to retrieve his departed sons from death's abode, just as the great ocean does not cross over its boundaries. 
Having found that self-controlled saint, the kings of Ikñväku's line gained sovereignty over the earth and protected this world. O Kuru child, when the monarchs found Vasiñtha, that excellent priest and noble seer, they worshiped the Lord with sacrificial rites. The godly sage Vasiñöha made those noble kings offer sacrifice to God, just as Båhaspati engaged the gods, O noble Päëòava. 
Therefore, a ruler must search for a priest who places his religious principles above everything and knows the spiritual essence of the Vedas: a desirable brähmaëa who possesses the good qualities of a purified soul. One who is born to rule and desires to conquer the wide earth must first accept a priest, Pärtha, so that his kingdom will prosper in a spirit of justice. A king who desires to rule the world must place spiritual values above all, and see all creatures as part of God. Therefore, you Päëòavas must work under the guidance of a qualified brähmaëa priest. 
Arjuna said: 
Why did such bitter feelings arise between Viçvämitra and Vasiñöha, both of whom resided in holy äçramas. Please tell me all about it. 
The Gandharva said: 
This ancient story of Vasiñöha is told throughout the universe, Pärtha, and I shall faithfully repeat it to you, so listen carefully. Once, in the place called Kanyakubja, there was a great king named Gädhi, famous throughout the world for his devotion to justice and truth. This pious soul had a son who raised huge mounted armies and who became known as Viçvämitra, a crusher of enemies. 
Once Viçvämitra, accompanied by his minister, went deep into the forest in pursuit of deer. Entering a beautiful wilderness, he pierced the stags and wild boars with his shafts. Weak from the strenuous chasing of deer, his throat parched, he came upon the äçrama of Vasiñöha. Noticing his arrival, Vasiñöha, the consummate sage, received with honor the ideal prince Viçvämitra, offering him a footbath, gifts, water to rinse his hands and mouth, and a meal of wholesome forest fare with pure butter. 
Now, the great soul Vasiñöha owned a wish-yielding cow; whenever the cow was ordered, «Fulfill these wishes!» she would yield all that was asked. She also yielded herbs found in the village and forest and of course milk, but with six different flavors. She gave a special drink with the flavor of nectar, and an unsurpassed elixir of longevity. And she gave eatables as tasty as nectar, in varieties that are to be chewed, drunk, licked up, and sucked. And so, Arjuna, the fortunate sage honored the king, his minister, and his army with a full offering of delicacies that completely satisfied the guests. 
The king gazed at that cow, with her perfect proportions (being six measures long, three measures wide, and five measures around the girth), her fine flanks and thighs, her large frog-eyes, her attractive build, her fat udder, handsome tail, pointed ears, beautiful horns, and strong, wide head and neck. He was astonished, for he could find not a single flaw in this most pleasing cow. 
Happily praising Vasiñöha's milk cow named Nandiné, and exceedingly content, Viçvämitra said to the sage, «O brähmaëa, offer me this cow and I shall give you ten million cows, or my kingdom. Great sage, give me this agreeable cow and enjoy a kingdom.» 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
Nandiné the milk cow is necessary so that I can properly worship the Deity, receive my guests, and make offerings to my ancestors. Therefore, I cannot give her, even in return for your kingdom. 
Viçvämitra said: 
I am a kñatriya warrior, and you are a sage, devoted to austerity and scholarship. What courage is there in the peaceful, self-restrained brähmaëas? You will not give me what I want, even for ten million cows – hen I shall not give up the duty of a warrior to be strong. I shall take your cow by force. 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
You are a king with an army, a warrior with powerful arms, so do as you wish at once. Do not even analyze it. 
The Gandharva said: 
At these words, Pärtha, Viçvämitra seized the cow named Nandiné, who was as graceful as a swan and as radiant as the moon. As Vasiñöha's cow was driven away, beaten with straps and sticks, gentle Nandiné began to bellow. Coming straight backöto the sage, Pärtha, she stood looking up at the holy one, and though severely and continuously beaten, she would not leave the hermitage. 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
I hear your cry, noble cow, which you are sounding again and again. By force you are being stolen from me, Nandiné, for I am a brähmaëa, trained to tolerate. 
The Gandharva said: 
Shaken by fear of Viçvämitra, and by the strength of the soldiers, Nandiné nuzzled up close to Vasiñöha, O best of the Bhäratas. 
The cow said: 
My lord, when I am crying out, unprotected, when the frightening soldiers of Viçvämitra beat me with sticks and stones, why do you remain indifferent? 
The Gandharva said: 
O Pärtha, when the desire-cow was thus being attacked, the exalted sage, fixed in his saintly vow, did not become agitated, nor did he stray from his grave spiritual vision. 
Vasiñöha said: 
The strength of warriors is their prowess in battle, but the strength of brähmaëas is their forgiveness. Forgiveness possesses me; therefore you may go if you like. 
The cow said: 
Have I now been rejected, my lord, and is that why you speak to me thus? Until you reject me, O brähmaëa, no one can lead me away by force. 
Vasiñöha said: 
Gentle one, I do not reject you; stay with me if you can. This man is binding your calf with strong rope, and he is going to steal her by force. 
The Gandharva said: 
«Stay if you can!» Hearing these words from Vasiñöha, the milk cow turned her head and neck up high and began to assume a menacing look. Her eyes turned red with rage, and she bellowed out like the thundering of clouds, scattering the army of Viçvämitra in all directions. When another attempt was made to beat her with tipped straps and sticks and to drag her about, her eyes blazed with fury, and her fury grew stronger and stronger, until her whole body was blazing like the midday sun. Her tail let fly a continuous and mighty shower of burning embers. From her backside she unleashed wild barbarian warriors, the Pahlavas, and from her dung the Çabaras and Çakas. From her urine she let loose the blood-thirsty Yavanas, for she was blinded by rage. From her froth she sent out the Puëòras, Kirätas, Dramiòas, Barbaras, and Siàhalas, along with the Daradas and Mlecchas. 
Set upon by the furious hoardes of created warriors, all of whom were fully covered with varieties of armor and armed with all kinds of weapons, Viçvämitra's great army was scattered before his eyes. Each of his soldiers was surrounded by five to seven of the enemy, and the entire army was driven about, just as they had driven the cow, until before Viçvämitra's eyes his army was completely broken by mighty showers of weapons. But the furious soldiers of Vasiñöha did not kill a single warrior of Viçvämitra, O noble Bhärata. 
As Viçvämitra's army was driven back over twenty miles, screaming in fear, they could find no one to save them. Witnessing this astonishing display of brahminical power, Viçvämitra was frustrated and discouraged with his status as a warrior, and he said, «A warrior's strength is useless! The prowess of a brähmaëa is real strength! By studying strength and weakness, the conclusion is that austerity is strength.» 
Renouncing his flourishing kingdom and the shining wealth of a ruler, and turning his back on worldly pleasures, Viçvämitra fixed his mind on the practice of austerity. He went on to achieve perfection in his penance, and he pervaded the worlds with his splendor, for all people felt the fire of his newly kindled strength. Thus did Viçvämitra achieve the status of a brähmaëa, and he drank with Indra the celestial Soma extracted from the rites of sacrifice. 
The Gandharva continued: 
There was a king named Kalmäñapäda in the dynasty of Ikñväku, and his prowess was unique, Pärtha. Once he left his city and went out to the forest to chase the deer, and that crusher of foes roamed about piercing the stags and wild boars with his shafts. The king, invincible in battle, began to suffer from hunger and thirst, until on a narrow path, wide enough for a single traveler, he came face to face with a spiritually advanced sage who was the exalted son of Vasiñöha. Çakti by name, this fortunate and agreeable soul was the eldest of saintly Vasiñöha's hundred sons. 
«Get out of my way!» said the king. The sage tried to pacify the king and informed him in gentle tones that it was rather the monarch's duty to let the sage go by. The sage stood by his rights and stayed on the path. He did not get out of the way, nor would the king move out of respect for a sage. Rather, the king angrily charged forward, and as the sage gave way the powerful but bewildered king, who was now like a Räkñasa in his rage, struck the holy man with his whip. Stung by a blow from the king's whip, the powerful sage also gave in to anger, and in senseless fury the son of Vasiñöha cursed the exalted king. 
«You outcaste king! Like a Räkñasa you dare to strike an ascetic! Therefore I declare that from this day on you shall become a man-eater! Greedy for human flesh, you will roam this earth. Now go, you lowest of kings!» Thus did the powerful Çakti curse the king. 
Now, Viçvämitra and Vasiñöha had been fighting over the king, who was a rich patron of sacrifices, and it so happened that Viçvämitra had been following him through the forest. Thus when the king and Çakti were quarreling on the narow road, the mighty Viçvämitra, a sage of fierce austerity, came close to them, and from behind, Pärtha, Viçvämitra recognized the sage as the son of saintly Vasiñöha, equal to his father in power. Eager to gain something for himself, Viçvämitra made himself invisible, Bhärata, and came close to both of them. 
When the learned king was cursed by Çakti, he came to his senses, took shelter of Çakti, and begged him for mercy. Knowing well the king's mind and condition, O child of the Kurus, Viçvämitra waited until the king had returned to his city and then ordered a Räkñasa to approach him. By the sage's curse, and by the order of Viçvämitra, the Räkñasa was able to enter the king and possess him. And once Viçvämitra knew that the king was possessed by the Räkñasa, he left that country, O tamer of enemies. 
Thereafter the learned king was severely harassed by the Räkñasa who had gone inside of him, but he was still able to protect himself by his own strength. Then when the king had again gone out of the city, a certain man of the twice-born community saw the monarch and, being hungry, begged him for a meal with meat. The wise king, who was also called Mitrasaha because he could withstand his enemies, pacified the twice-born man by saying, «Sit down here for a moment, brähmaëa. As soon as I return to my home, I will send the food you requested.» Having thus spoken, the king departed, and the twice-born man waited. 
But the brähmaëa's words slipped the king's mind, and entering the quarters of his women, the monarch retired for the night. The king awoke at midnight, remembering his promise to the brähmaëa, and he quickly sent for a cook, to whom he explained the situation and gave this instruction: «The brähmaëa is waiting for me in that place, and he is very hungry, so go there and provide him a meal with meat.» 
Thus addressed, the cook searched but could not find any meat. The cook, filled with anxiety, reported to the king that meat was not to be found. Then the Räkñasa within the king finally exerted his influence, and the king, without the least concern, said to the cook, «Then feed him human meat!» and repeated this instruction again and again. 
«So be it!» said the cook, and hurried off to the place where condemned prisoners were being executed. Emboldened by the king's order, he stole some flesh from an executed criminal. Quickly cleaning and preparing the meat, he mixed it with rice and presented it to the hungry ascetic brähmaëa. That learned twice-born man looked at the food with his experienced eye and said, !This food is unfit to eat!» and he stared with a face that quivered with rage. «Because that king gives me such nasty food, which is not fit to eat, a strange appetite will arise in that foolish man. As stated before by Çakti, he will lust after human flesh and roam the earth, feared and shunned by all creatures.» 
When the curse was thus uttered twice, it grew very strong. The Räkñasa's strength now took hold of the king and he lost his senses, for he was dominated by the Räkñasa. 
Soon thereafter, O Bhärata, the king saw the sage Çakti and said to him, «Because you punished me with an unprecedented curse, I must now begin to eat human flesh.» Speaking thus, he suddenly seized the sage, tore out his life, and devoured him as a tiger consumes his desired prey. 
Witnessing the death of Çakti, Viçvämitra again ordered the Räkñasa within the king's body, this time sending him to the other sons of Vasiñöha. The king then approached the hundred younger sons of the great soul Vasiñöha and furiously devoured them, as a lion consumes small and weak deer. Hearing that his sons had all been murdered by Viçvämitra's plot, Vasiñöha bore his grief as a great mountain bears its terrible burden of earth. The brilliant sage then made up his mind to take his own life, for the holy one did not even considerödestroying the family of Viçvämitra. The exalted saint threw himself from the high peak of Mount Meru, falling headfirst onto the stone ground below. But when he fell onto the stone, it received him like a pile of soft cotton. When he did not die from his fall, Päëòava, he ignited a fire in the deep forest, and the divine sage entered within it. But the blazing fire did not burn him, for as soon as he entered it the scorching flames became cool and refreshing, O slayer of enemies. Overcome by grief, the great sage next headed for the ocean, and binding a heavy stone about his neck he fell into the sea. But the powerful ocean waves brought the sage back to the shore. Frustrated at his failure to take his own life, he went back to his hermitage. 
The Gandharva continued: 
Thereupon, seeing his hermitage bereft of his beloved boys, the sage was filled with anguish and again went out of his hermitage. He then saw a river, swollen with the new waters of the rainy season, carrying away many variegated trees that grew along her bank. He was beside himself with grief, Pärtha, and again he began to think about suicide and said to himself, «I should drown myself in the water of this river.» The sage then bound himself tightly with ropes and in utter despair sank down in the river's deep currents. O slayer of rival armies, the river then cut his bonds and deposited the sage, without the ropes, onto a level bank. Free of his bonds, the great sage got up and, seeing what had happened, named the river Vipäçä, «unfettered.» 
Thereafter he lost his mind in sorrow and did not stay in one place, but went to mountains, rivers, and lakes. Then the sage again saw a large river coming down from the Himälayan range, full of ferocious crocodiles. He dropped himself into her waters. But that fine river felt the sage like the touch of fire, and she fled into a hundred parts, by which act she became famous as the Çatadru, the «hundred-runner.» 
Realizing that despite his effort he was again on the land, he said, «It is not possible to die!» and went back to his hermitage. As he came near his äçrama, his daughter-in-law Adåçyanté followed along behind him unseen. Vasiñöha heard the loud, clear sound of Vedic recitation, exquisite and full, with the meaningful chanting of the six Vedic branches. The lovely sound surprised the sage, and he realized that someone was following him. 
«Who is that following me?» he said. 
«My name is Adåçyanté. I am your daughter-in-law,» the girl replied. «Most noble sage, I am the wife of Çakti. I am an ascetic engaged in austerity.» 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
Daughter, who is making that beautiful sound, reciting the Vedas with their branches?ööI once heard Çakti chant the Veda in that way. 
Adåçyanté said: 
He who chants is born of your son Çakti, dear sage, and for twelve years he has been studying the Vedas inside my womb. 
The Gandharva said: 
At these words, the exalted seer Vasiñöha was jubilant. «Our family lives!» he said, and turned away from death. O sinless Arjuna, son of Påthä, Çakti's faithful wife thus brought the sage out of his depression, but then, as he looked around his hermitage, he saw King Kalmäña-päda sitting in the surrounding wilderness. 
Spying the sage, the king angrily rose up, O Bhärata, possessed by the fierce Räkñasa, and went to attack Vasiñöha. Seeing that man of cruel deeds in front of them, Adåçyanté was terrified and said to Vasiñöha, «My lord, the horrible Räkñasa has grabbed a log and he's coming at us like Death himself with his terrible staff. O noble one, best of Vedic scholars, in this whole world there is no one but you with the power to stop him. My lord, save me from this wicked man! The Räkñasa wants to eat us! I know that's what he wants.» 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
Don't be afraid, daughter. There is nothing to fear from this Räkñasa. The person you see standing in front of you is not a Räkñasa at all, nor is he the lord of death. He is King Kalmäña-päda, celebrated throughout the world for his prowess. But he now stays here and spreads terror in this remote corner of the forest. 
The Gandharva said: 
Seeing the king rushing to attack them, the lordly sage Vasiñöha, shining with prowess, immediately stopped him simply by uttering the vibration huà! Then with water sanctified by mantra, the sage again consecrated the mighty king and liberated him from the ghastly Räkñasa. For twelve years, by the force of Vasiñöha's son, the king's real consciousness had been virtually swallowed up, like the day-making sun at the time of eclipse. Freed now from the Räkñasa, the king lit up the forest with his splendor, as the dazzling sun lights up the sunset clouds. 
Having regained his true consciousness, the king saluted the sage with folded hands, and at the appropriate moment he said to the holy Vasiñöha, «Great soul, I am Saudäsa, son of Sudäsa, and I am anxious to arrange sacrifices for you, O glorious brähmaëa. At this time, whatever you desire, please tell me. Please let me know how I can serve you.» 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
At this time, it is best that you go back and rule your kingdom. O leader of men, don't ever again deride the brähmaëas. 
The king said: 
O brähmaëa, I shall never again deride the powerful brähmaëas. I am steady in your instruction, and I shall always honor the twice-born. O excellent brähmaëa, best of Vedic scholars, I tell you in truth that I would like to obtain from you a boon by which I can pay my debt to my ancestors in the royal line of Ikñväku. I ask you to go unto my queen, who is endowed with the qualities of good character and beauty, and beget for me a son who will cause the Ikñväku dynasty to flourish. 
The Gandharva said: 
«I must grant you your wish,» replied the truthful sage Vasiñöha to the mighty archer and king. The king then returned with Vasiñöha to the fine city of Ayodhyä, which is celebrated throughout the worlds. All the citizens joyfully welcomed their king, a great soul who was now freed of sin, and they all rose up to meet him, just as the celestial denizens receive with jubilation the coming of the Lord. 
Without delay, the monarch entered that city of pious deeds accompanied by the great soul Vasiñöha, and the people gazed upon them, for, O king, they were as glorious as the rising sun with the lunar asterism Puñya. That most opulent king in turn filled Ayodhyä with opulent gifts, as the autumn moon fills the heavens with its cooling rays. 
With its spotless roads sprinkled with fragrant water and its high-flying flags coloring the skies, the grand cityöfilled the king's mind and heart with joy. Bustling with satisfied, healthy citizens, the city shone with its returning king like the celestial Amarävaté shines in the presence of Indra, O blessed Kuru child. When the king, this Indra of kings, had entered the city, he gave permission and his godly wife approached Vasiñöha. It was in the proper season that the glorious sage Vasiñöha, strictly following the divine law, joined with that godly woman. And when a sonöbegan to grow in her womb, the excellent sage, honored by the king, departed for his hermitage. 
When after a very long time the queen did not give birth to her son, the godly woman split her abdomen with a stone, and thus after twelve years her child was born. Named Açmaka (!done by a stone»), the boy grew to be a saintly king and founded the city of Potana. 
The Story of Aurva 
The Gandharva continued: 
O king, staying in the hermitage, Adåçyanté finally gave birth to Çakti's son, who was destined to preserve the noble family, for he was a second Çakti. The excellent sage Vasiñöha personally performed for his grandson all of the religious ceremonies that secure the blessings of God upon a newborn child. And because the child gave Vasiñöha new life, even while in the womb, he became known in the world as Paräçara. 
The religious-minded child considered Vasiñöha his father, and from his birth he treated the sage like his real father. Once, in the presence of his mother, Adåçyanté, the child said to the saintly Vasiñöha, «You are my daddy.» Hearing her child say «daddy» with such feeling and in such a tender voice, Adåçyanté, her eyes full of tears, said to him, «Don't say `Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!' The great sage is not your daddy! My beloved child, I must tell you that your real daddy was eaten by a Räkñasa in the forest. The person you think is your daddyöis not your daddy, my innocent one. He is the most venerable father of your real daddy, who was also a great soul.» 
When his mother told him this, the young truthful sage was struck with bitter sorrow, and in his brilliant mind he decided that he must destroy this evil world that had taken away his father. Seeing the exalted child fixed in his radical thoughts, the mighty ascetic Vasiñöha restrained him with a particular argument. Hear what it was. 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
Once there was a king on this earth known as Kåtavérya. That bull of a monarch sponsored many sacrifices for the Vedic scholars in the line of Bhågu. The brähmaëas are always allowed to eat first, my child, as a sign of respect, and at the end of his Soma sacrifice the king satisfied the brähmaëas with magnificent gifts of grains and wealth. Once when that tiger of a king had gone to the heavenly planets, his relatives needed goods for their sustenance. Knowing of the wealth that had been given to the noble brähmaëas in Bhågu's line, all the men of the royal order went to them to solicit their favors. Some of the brähmaëas hid their limitless wealth in the ground, some gave it away to other sages, knowing of the danger from the warriors, and some simply gave it in charity to the kings, my child, seeing other good reasons for such an act. After that, my boy, it so happened that a warrior was digging the earth around a brähmaëa's house and he came upon a treasure. All the leading warriors then came there and saw the treasure. With fury and contempt they killed the brähmaëas there with their sharpened arrows, even when they begged for mercy. The mighty archers then went about the earth killing every brähmaëa, down to the children in the womb. 
When the brähmaëas in the line of Bhågu were being slaughtered in this way, their wives fled in fear, my child, to the Himälayan mountains. One of those ladies, fearing the warriors, carried her radiant embryo in one of her beautiful thighs so that the child might live and cause her husband's family to flourish. The angry warriors noticed that brähmaëa lady, who glowed with her own effulgence. But the child then opened his mother's thigh and came out, blinding the warriors' eyes like the noonday sun. 
Having lost their vision, the warriors then stumbled about the rough mountain terrain. They were frustrated in their plans and terror-stricken. Their leader went to the brähmaëa lady for shelter and begged that faultless woman to give them back their sight. Those warriorsöwere like fires whose flames are extinguished, for deprived of all light they were almost unconscious with agony, and they said to the glorious wife of a brähmaëa, «By your mercy the royal class may regain their sight. All of us will stop our wicked acts and leave you in peace. Please, you and your son must be merciful to all of us. We beg you to deliver the royal order from destruction. Grant us our eyes!» 
The wife of the brähmaëa said: 
I did not take away your eyes, nor am I filled with anger. This descendant of Bhågu, however, born from my thigh, is certainly furious with you, and undoubtedly, dear king, he is the great soul who has taken away your sight, for he remembers his loved ones that were slain. 
My sons, when you were killing even brähmaëas' children, still in the womb, then for one hundred years I carried this child within my thigh. The Veda with its six branches entered my child, for the holy Veda itself desired to act for the happiness of the Bhågu line. Certainly this child is raging at the death of his fathers, and he desires to kill all of you. He has already blinded you with his fiery potency. Dear king, you must plead with my glorious son, Aurva, for if he is satisfied with your surrender he will give all of you back your sight. 
The Gandharva said: 
When the kings heard these words, they said to Aurva, born of his mother's thigh, «Be merciful to us!» and the child sage showed them mercy. He is celebrated in all the worlds by the name Aurva, for the saintly one took birth by opening his mother's thigh. 
Having regained their sight, the kings returned to their homes, but the Bhärgava sage was not pacified, and he thought of ending all the worlds. Within his powerful mind, he then firmly decided that all the planets must be destroyed. Desiring revenge for the massacre of the descendants of Bhågu, that powerful brähmaëa began to grow in strength through his awesome austerities aimed at the destuction of all the worlds. He wanted to please his forefathers by his awesome austerities, but the fire of his practice began to burn up the worlds of the gods, Asuras, and human beings. His forefathers realized what he was doing, and all of them came down from the Pitå planet and said to their illustrious child: «Aurva, dear child, the power of your fierce austerities is plain to see, but please restrain your anger and be merciful to all these worlds. It is not out of weakness that we allowed the warriors to cut us down, my child. Rather, when our duration of life had grown very long, boredom set upon us, and we ourselves wanted the warriors to kill us. Therefore one of us buried the treasure in a brähmaëa's house and left it thereöso that we could create enmity with the warriors and anger them. What use did we have of earthly wealth, when our only desire was to pass on to the higher world? Death had no power to take us, and so we envisioned this means, child, and we all agreed upon it. A man who commits suicide cannot attain the worlds of the pious, and so we realized that we could not take our own lives. 
«Dear son, this plan you are trying to accomplish does not please us. Withdraw your mind from this sinful plan of ending all the worlds. None of these warriors, or even the seven great planets, dear son, can disgrace the power of our austerity. Conquer this rising rage!» 
Aurva said: 
My dear fathers, although I spoke out of anger, I did make a promise to destroy all the planets, and I cannot make a false promise. Were my angry promise to prove false, I could not bear to live. And in any case, if my anger does not have an outlet, it will burn me, its source, like fire that burns the kindling stick. A man who would tolerate anger that arose for good cause cannot fully protect his self-interest in the realms of religion, prosperity, and personal pleasure. 
When anger is applied to restrain the uncivilized and protect the civilized, it has been properly applied, especially by kings who wish to attain entrance to heaven. I heard a terrible shrieking when I was yet unborn and lay hidden in my mother's thigh. It was the screaming of the womenfolk, the mothers, as their husbands and fathers and sons were being murdered by the kñatriyas. Yet when those lowest of warriors murdered even the helpless babes who slept in their mothers' wombs, and all the worlds and the gods who rule them stood by and forgave, fury overcame me. 
They were heavy with child, those mothers! And the simple fathers in their fear found no shelter, nowhere to go in all the worlds. No one at all came to help those wives of the Bhågu sages when my saintly mother bore me in her thigh. When in this universe there is someone who forbids and stops the wicked, in all the planets there will be no evil-doer. But when the evil-doer never meets a person who forbids and checks him, many people in this world persist in evil deeds. If a person with power knows of an evil deed yet does not stop it, then that lord, that powerful being, is implicated in the act he did not stop. If my fathers could not be saved, even by the kings and gods who had the power to do so, if those who should have helped were so cowardly or indifferent that they would not disturb their own happy lives, then my rage is for them, and now I have gained the power to show and sound that rage in all the worlds! 
Yet you are my venerable fathers, and I cannot pass over your words. But if I too should neglect the evil of the world, now that I have the power to act, the greatest danger would arise for me–the danger of sin. This fire, born of fury, now burns within me, and it wants toötake the worlds away. If I lock it inside of me with my prowess, it will burn me to ashes. I realize that you are devoted to the welfare of all creatures, and therefore as my lords you must know what is best for the worlds, and for me. 
The forefathers said: 
This fire born of rage that burns within you, that wants to take the worlds away, you must release into the waters, for the worlds are resting on those waters. Water is the essential part of all things, for the whole world is constituted of water. Therefore, for your own good, O best of the twice-born, release the fire of your fury into the waters. If you so desire, brähmaëa, let the fire of your fury stay in the great ocean, burning the waters. Thus your promise will come true, innocent one, and at the same time the planets and the gods who rule them will not come to ruin. 
Vasiñöha Muni said: 
Thereupon Aurvaöreleased the fire of his fury into the great ocean, the abode of Varuëa, thus utilizing the waters to resolve his dilemma. The Vedic scholars know that the furious fire became a giant horse-head, spitting the fire from its mouth and drinking the waters of the great ocean. 
Therefore, Paräçara, knowing that there are higher duties and laws, you also should not destroy the worlds, for by God's blessings you are a very wise man. 
The Gandharva said: 
Thus addressed by the great soul Vasiñöha, the saintly scholar withdrew his fury, which aimed to destroy all the worlds. The mighty sage Paräçara, son of Çakti, with his excellent knowledge of the Vedas, then began to worship the Supreme through the sacrifice of wicked Räkñasas. The potent sage, remembering constantly the murder of his father, Çakti, burned up the Räkñasas, old and young alike, in the wide flames of sacrifice. Vasiñöha did not stop him from killing the Räkñasas, for having dissuaded him from his vow to destroy the worlds, he concluded, «I must not make him break his second promise, to kill the demons.» 
In that sacrifice, wherein three sacred fires blazed, the mighty sage Paräçara sat in front like a fourth sacred fire. As the shining rite proceeded with the appropriate offering of oblations, it lit up the vast sky like the sun shining forth in a clear, rain-cleansed sky. Vasiñöha and all the sages there concluded that Paräçara himself was lighting up the heavens like a second day-making sun. 
Thereupon, wishing to end that sacrifice, which few others could perform, the magnanimous sage Atri came to the assembly. Similarly Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu arrived at the large sacrifice, hoping to save the lives of the Räkñasas. O best of the Bhäratas, then Pulastya, affected by the killing of Räkñasas, spoke out to Paräçara, tamer of the hostile. «My dear son, will nothing stop you? Are you actually enjoying the murder of all the Räkñasas who have committed no crime against you and do not even know why they are being killed? Paräçara, you are a brähmaëa, a most educated man, and yet you are committing the most irreligious act by annihilating all of the progeny I myself created as part of the creator's plan. And King Kalmäña-päda has been saved and even aspires to ascend to heaven. 
«All the sons of saintly Vasiñöha, who were younger brothers of Çakti, have already entered the lord's heaven, and they are joyfully celebrating with the gods. O mighty sage, your grandfather Vasiñöha certainly knows all this to be true. 
«O son of Çakti, you were engaged by Providence to painfully destroy these Räkñasas in the fire of sacrifice, but now let it be finished. Give up this ceremony, and may God bless you!» 
When thus addressed by Pulastya, whose words were confirmed by the wise Vasiñöha, Paräçara, son of Çakti, ended his ritual. The potent fire had been gathered to kill sacrificially all the Räkñasas, and the sage now released it on a northern Himälayan slope, within a deep forest. The fire is still visible there even today, for it periodically devours the Räkñasas there and likewise the trees and stones. 
Arjuna said: 
How did King Kalmäña-päda justify his decision to have his wife conceive a child with his guru, who was an excellent Vedic scholar? The king, being a great soul, had knowledge of spiritual principles as well as traditional morality. Why, then, would he arrange for the great soul Vasiñöha to approach a woman whom normally the guru should never approach? Kindly explain all this to me, for I am asking in earnest. 
The Gandharva said: 
My dear Arjuna, you have raised serious questions about the invincible Vasiñöha and King Mitrasaha. so listen carefully as I answer you. I previously explained to you, Arjuna, how the king was cursed by the great soul Çakti, son of Vasiñöha. Having come under the power of the curse, his eyes wild with rage, the fiery king took his wife and left the city. He and his wife then roamed about the wilderness, which was full of varieties of deer herds and crowded with all kinds of creatures. Possessed by the curse, he wandered throughout that wilderness, thick with all kinds of bushes, covered by a canopy of variegated trees, and echoing with the frightening sounds of deadly animals. 
Once he was overcome with hunger and was searching for food when in that most troubled state he came to a waterfall cascading through the wild forest, and there he saw a brähmaëa and his wife engaged in the sexual act. Seeing him, both were terrified, and without consummating their act they fled into the forest. But even as they ran, the king seized the brähmaëa by force. 
Seeing her husband captured, the brähmaëé said, «Listen, O king, to the words that I shall now speak to you. O faithful man, you were born in the royal dynasty of the sun and are renowned all over the world as a sober man fixed in religious principles and always serving your guru. You have suffered a curse, invincible one, and you should be aware of it and not commit an evil act. Now is the occasion of a religious ceremony and my husband has approached me to beget a child. I am not yet fulfilled, for I have a great desire to beget a child. Be merciful, O best of kings, and release my husband!» 
As she was thus crying out for mercy, the king, who had become very cruel in his acts, devoured her husband like a tiger consumes his wanted prey. The brähmaëé was overwhelmed with rage, and her single tear fell to the ground and became a blazing fire that lit up the entire area with brilliant light. Burning with grief andöanguish over the atrocity against her husband, she angrily cursed the saintly king Kalmäña-päda with these words: «Vile man! Because you cruelly devoured my most venerable lord and protector before my eyes at a moment when I was unfulfilled, I strike you down with my curse, O evil-minded one, and thus should you ever approach your wife in her fertile season, you too will at once lose your life. 
«You have murdered the sons of the sage Vasiñöha, O lowest of kings, and therefore I declare that Vasiñöha will lie with your wife and beget a son, and that son will inherit your throne.» 
Having thus cursed the king, that brilliant woman born in the line of Aìgirä entered into the sacred fire in the presence of the king. By his mystic knowledge and vast austerities the glorious Vasiñöha witnessed all these events. O mighty Arjuna. 
After a long time the saintly king was freed from the cursed life of a Räkñasa, and when he eagerly approached his wife Madanté in her fertile season, she stopped him. Bewildered by the curse of the brähmaëa's wife, he did not at first remember the curse, but hearing the words of his godly wife, that noble king then recalled it, and he lamented piteously for what he had done. For that reason, O best of the Bhäratas, the king had Vasiñöha lie with his wife, for he was disqualified by the terms of the curse. 
Arjuna said: 
All is known to you, Gandharva, and therefore point out a priest who would be suitable for us, one who knows the Vedas. 
The Gandharva said: 
In the forest at sacred Utkocaka, the younger brother of Devala performs austerities. His name is Dhaumya; select him if you wish. 
Çré Vaiçampäyana said: 
Thereupon Arjuna presented his ägneya weapon to the Gandharva with honor and protocol, and affectionately told him, «These horses should remain with you for now. Later, at the time of action, I shall take them. May you fare well.» 
The Gandharva and the Päëòavas respectfully bid each other farewell and departed at their pleasure from the charming bank of the Ganges. The Päëòavas went to the hermitage of the sage Dhaumya at sacred Utkocaka and chose him as their royal priest, O Bhärata. And Dhaumya, that excellent Vedic scholar, received them with water to wash their feet and forest fare of fruits and roots, and he agreed to become their priest. 
Now the Päëòavas had serious hopes of regaining their kingdom and fortune and of winning the hand of the Päïcäla princess at her svayaàvara, for they had accepted the guidance of a brähmaëa. The five brothers and their mother, in the company of their guru, felt themselves well protected. 
Dhaumya was certainly a most learned scholar of the Vedas, and he was open-minded and generous. He was an aristocratic brähmaëa, handsome and eloquent, and he was equal to Båhaspati, the priest of the gods, in his potency, intelligence, beauty, fame, fortune, and knowledge of mantras. Dhaumya considered that the heroic brothers had already regained their kingdom, for he knew them to be as intelligent, chivalrous, strong, and devout as the gods themselves. With his keen knowledge of religious principles, and indeed of all matters, Dhaumya engaged the Päëòavas in holy sacrifice to that end. 
Thereupon, with the full blessings of Dhaumya, those kingly men resolved to journey together to the svayaàvara festival of the Päïcäla princess.