Vaisampayana continued,--“The sons of Pandu said to the high-souled
Markandeya, ‘We long to hear of the greatness of the Brahmanas Do thou
tell us of it!’ Thus asked, the revered Markandeya, of austere virtue and
high spiritual energy, and proficient in all departments of knowledge,
replied, ‘A strong-limbed, handsome young prince of the race of the
Haihayas, a conqueror of hostile cities, (once) went out hunting. And
(while) roaming in the wilderness of big trees and thickets of grass, he
saw, at no great distance from him, a Muni with the skin of a black
antelope for his upper garment, and killed him for a deer. Pained at what
he had done, and his senses paralysed with grief, he repaired to the
presence of the more distinguished of the Haihaya chiefs. The louts-eyed
prince related to them the particulars. On hearing the account, O my son,
and beholding the body of the Muni who had subsisted on fruits and roots,
they were sorely afflicted in mind. And they all set out enquiring here
and there as they proceeded, as to whose son the Muni might be. And they
soon after reached the hermitage of Arishtanemi, son of Kasyapa. And
saluting that great Muni, so constant in austerity, they all remained
standing, while the Muni, on his part, busied himself about their
reception. And they said unto the illustrious Muni, ‘By a freak of
destiny, we have ceased to merit thy welcome: indeed, we have killed a
Brahmana!’ And the regenerate Rishi said to them, ‘How hath a Brahmana
come to be killed by you, and say where may be he? Do ye all witness the
power of my ascetic practices!’ And they, having related everything to
him as it had happened went back, but found not the body of the dead
Rishi on the spot (where they had left it). And having searched for him,
they returned, ashamed and bereft of all perception, as in a dream. And
then, O thou conqueror of hostile cities, the Muni Tarkshya, addressed
them, saying, ‘Ye princes, can this be the Brahmana of your killing? This
Brahmana, endowed with occult gifts from spiritual exercises, is, indeed,
my son!’ Seeing that Rishi, O lord of the earth, they were struck with
bewilderment. And they said, ‘What a marvel! How hath the dead come to
life again? Is it the power of his austere virtue by which he hath
revived again? We long to hear this, O Brahmana, if, indeed, it can be
divulged?’ To them, he replied, ‘Death, O lords of men, hath no power
over us! I shall tell ye the reason briefly and intelligibly. We perform
our own sacred duties; therefore, have we no fear of death; we speak well
of Brahmanas but never think any ill of them; therefore hath death no
terror for us. Entertaining our guests with food and drink, and our
dependants with plenty of food, we ourselves (then) partake of what is
left; therefore we are not afraid of death. We are peaceful and austere
and charitable and forbearing and fond of visiting sacred shrines, and we
live in sacred places; therefore we have no fear of death. And we live in
places inhabited by men who have great spiritual power; therefore hath
death no terror for us. I have briefly told ye all! Return ye now all
together, cured of all worldly vanity. Ye have no fear of sin!’ Saying
amen, O foremost scion of Bharata’s race, and saluting the great Muni,
all those princes joyously returned to their country.”