(Sambhava Parva continued)
"'Bhishma continued, "In olden days, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, in anger
at the death of his father, slew with his battle axe the king of the
Haihayas. And Rama, by cutting off the thousand arms of Arjuna (the
Haihaya king), achieved a most difficult feat in the world. Not content
with this, he set out on his chariot for the conquest of the world, and
taking up his bow he cast around his mighty weapons to exterminate the
Kshatriyas. And the illustrious scion of Bhrigu's race, by means of his
swift arrows annihilated the Kshatriya tribe one and twenty times.
"'"And when the earth was thus deprived of Kshatriyas by the great Rishi,
the Kshatriya ladies all over the land had offspring raised by Brahmanas
skilled in the Vedas. It has been said in the Vedas that the sons so
raised belongeth to him that had married the mother. And the Kshatriya
ladies went in unto the Brahamanas not lustfully but from motives of
virtue. Indeed, it was thus that the Kshatriya race was revived.
"'"In this connection there is another old history that I will recite to
you. There was in olden days a wise Rishi of the name of Utathya. He had a
wife of the name Mamata whom he dearly loved. One day Utathya's younger
brother Vrihaspati, the priest of the celestials, endued with great energy,
approached Mamata. The latter, however, told her husband's younger
brother--that foremost of eloquent men--that she had conceived from her
connection with his elder brother and that, therefore, he should not then
seek for the consummation of his wishes. She continued, 'O illustrious
Vrihaspati, the child that I have conceived hath studied in his mother's
womb the Vedas with the six Angas, Semen tuum frustra perdi non potest. How
can then this womb of mine afford room for two children at a time?
Therefore, it behoveth thee not to seek for the consummation of thy desire
at such a time.' Thus addressed by her, Vrihaspati, though possessed of
great wisdom, succeeded not in suppressing his desire. Quum auten jam cum
illa coiturus esset, the child in the womb then addressed him and said, 'O
father, cease from thy attempt. There is no space here for two. O
illustrious one, the room is small. I have occupied it first. Semen tuum
perdi non potest. It behoveth thee not to afflict me.' But Vrihaspati
without listening to what that child in the womb said, sought the embraces
of Mamata possessing the most beautiful pair of eyes. Ille tamen Muni qui
in venture erat punctum temporis quo humor vitalis jam emissum iret
providens, viam per quam semen intrare posset pedibus obstruxit. Semen ita
exhisum, excidit et in terram projectumest. And the illustrious
Vrihaspati, beholding this, became indignant, and reproached Utathya's
child and cursed him, saying, 'Because thou hast spoken to me in the way
thou hast at a time of pleasure that is sought after by all creatures,
perpetual darkness shall overtake thee.' And from this curse of the
illustrious Vrishaspati Utathya's child who was equal unto Vrihaspati in
energy, was born blind and came to be called Dirghatamas (enveloped in
perpetual darkness). And the wise Dirghatamas, possessed of a knowledge
of the Vedas, though born blind, succeeded yet by virtue of his learning,
in obtaining for a wife a young and handsome Brahmana maiden of the name
of Pradweshi. And having married her, the illustrious Dirghatamas, for the
expansion of Utathya's race, begat upon her several children with Gautama
as their eldest. These children, however, were all given to covetousness
and folly. The virtuous and illustrious Dirghatamas possessing complete
mastery over the Vedas, soon after learnt from Surabhi's son the practices
of their order and fearlessly betook himself to those practices, regarding
them with reverence. (For shame is the creature of sin and can never be
where there is purity of intention). Then those best of Munis that dwelt
in the same asylum, beholding him transgress the limits of propriety
became indignant, seeing sin where sin was not. And they said, 'O, this
man, transgresseth the limit of propriety. No longer doth he deserve a
place amongst us. Therefore, shall we all cast this sinful wretch off.'
And they said many other things regarding the Muni Dirghatamas. And his
wife, too, having obtained children, became indignant with him.
"'"The husband then addressing his wife Pradweshi, said, 'Why is it that
thou also hast been dissatisfied with me?' His wife answered, 'The husband
is called the Bhartri because he supporteth the wife. He is called Pati
because he protecteth her. But thou art neither, to me! O thou of great
ascetic merit, on the other hand, thou hast been blind from birth, it is I
who have supported thee and thy children. I shall not do so in future.'
"'"Hearing these words of his wife, the Rishi became indignant and said
unto her and her children, 'Take me unto the Kshatriyas and thou shalt then
be rich.' His wife replied (by saying), 'I desire not wealth that may be
procured by thee, for that can never bring me happiness. O best of
Brahmanas, do as thou likest. I shall not be able to maintain thee as
before.' At these words of his wife, Dirghatamas said, 'I lay down from
this day as a rule that every woman shall have to adhere to one husband
for her life. Be the husband dead or alive, it shall not be lawful for a
woman to have connection with another. And she who may have such
connection shall certainly be regarded as fallen. A woman without husband
shall always be liable to be sinful. And even if she be wealthy she shall
not be able to enjoy that wealth truly. Calumny and evil report shall ever
dog her.' Hearing these words of her husband Pradweshi became very angry,
and commanded her sons, saying, 'Throw him into the waters of Ganga!' And
at the command of their mother, the wicked Gautama and his brothers, those
slaves of covetousness and folly, exclaiming, 'Indeed, why should we
support this old man?' tied the Muni to a raft and committing him to the
mercy of the stream returned home without compunction. The blind old man
drifting along the stream on that raft, passed through the territories of
many kings. One day a king named Vali conversant with every duty went to
the Ganges to perform his ablutions. And as the monarch was thus engaged,
the raft to which the Rishi was tied, approached him. And as it came, the
king took the old man. The virtuous Vali, ever devoted to truth, then
learning who the man was that was thus saved by him, chose him for raising
up offspring. And Vali said, 'O illustrious one, it behoveth thee to raise
upon my wife a few sons that shall be virtuous and wise.' Thus addressed,
the Rishi endued with great energy, expressed his willingness. Thereupon
king Vali sent his wife Sudeshna unto him. But the queen knowing that the
latter was blind and old went not unto him, she sent unto him her nurse.
And upon that Sudra woman the virtuous Rishi of passions under full
control begat eleven children of whom Kakshivat was the eldest. And
beholding those eleven sons with Kakshivat as the eldest, who had studied
all the Vedas and who like Rishis were utterers of Brahma and were
possessed of great power, king Vali one day asked the Rishi saying, 'Are
these children mine?' The Rishi replied, 'No, they are mine. Kakshivat and
others have been begotten by me upon a Sudra woman. Thy unfortunate queen
Sudeshna, seeing me blind and old, insulted me by not coming herself but
sending unto me, instead, her nurse.' The king then pacified that best of
Rishis and sent unto him his queen Sudeshna. The Rishi by merely touching
her person said to her, 'Thou shalt have five children named Anga, Vanga,
Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma, who shall be like unto Surya (Sun) himself in
glory. And after their names as many countries shall be known on earth. It
is after their names that their dominions have come to be called Anga,
Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma.'
"'"It was thus that the line of Vali was perpetuated, in days of old, by a
great Rishi. And it was thus also that many mighty bowmen and great car-
warriors wedded to virtue, sprung in the Kshatriya race from the seed of
Brahmanas. Hearing this, O mother, do as thou likest, as regards the
matter in hand."'"