(Vaivahika Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Vyasa continued, "In days of yore, the celestials had
once commenced a grand sacrifice in the forest of Naimisha. At that
sacrifice, O king, Yama, the son of Vivaswat, became the slayer of the
devoted animals. Yama, thus employed in that sacrifice, did not (during
that period), O king, kill a single human being. Death being suspended in
the world, the number of human beings increased very greatly. Then Soma
and Sakra and Varuna and Kuvera, the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Vasus, the
twin Aswins,--these and other celestials went unto Prajapati, the Creator
of the universe. Struck with fear for the increase of the human population
of the world they addressed the Master of creation and said, 'Alarmed, O
lord, at the increase of human beings on earth, we come to thee for relief.
Indeed, we crave thy protection.' Hearing those words the Grandsire said,
'Ye have little cause to be frightened at this increase of human beings.
Ye all are immortal. It behoveth you not to take fright at human beings.'
The celestials replied, 'The mortals have all become immortal. There is no
distinction now between us and them. Vexed at the disappearance of all
distinction, we have come to thee in order that thou mayest distinguish us
from them.' The Creator then said, 'The son of Vivaswat is even now
engaged in the grand sacrifice. It is for this that men are not dying. But
when Yama's work in connection with the sacrifice terminates, men will
again begin to die as before. Strengthened by your respective energies,
Yama will, when that time comes, sweep away by thousands the inhabitants
on earth who will scarcely have then any energy left in them.'"
"'Vyasa continued, "Hearing these words of the first-born deity, the
celestials returned to the spot where the grand sacrifice was being
performed. And the mighty one sitting by the side of the Bhagirathi saw a
(golden) lotus being carried along by the current. And beholding that
(golden) lotus, they wondered much. And amongst them, that foremost of
celestials, viz., Indra, desirous of ascertaining whence it came,
proceeded up along the course of the Bhagirathi. And reaching that spot
whence the goddess Ganga issues perennially, Indra beheld a woman
possessing the splendour of fire. The woman who had come there to take
water was washing in the stream, weeping all the while. The tear-drops
she shed, falling on the stream, were being transformed into golden
lotuses. The wielder of the thunderbolt, beholding that wonderful sight,
approached the woman and asked her, 'Who art thou, amiable lady? Why dost
thou weep? I desire to know the truth. O, tell me everything.'"
"'Vyasa continued, "The woman thereupon answered, 'O Sakra, thou mayest
know who I am and why, unfortunate that I am, I weep, if only, O chief of
the celestials, thou comest with me as I lead the way. Thou shall then see
what it is I weep for.' Hearing these words of the lady, Indra followed
her as she led the way. And soon he saw, not far off from where he was, a
handsome youth with a young lady seated on a throne placed on one of the
peaks of Himavat and playing at dice. Beholding that youth, the chief of
the celestials said, 'Know, intelligent youth, that this universe is under
my sway.' Seeing, however, that the person addressed was so engrossed in
dice that he took no notice of what he said, Indra was possessed by anger
and repeated, 'I am the lord of the universe.' The youth who was none else
than the god Mahadeva (the god of the gods), seeing Indra filled with
wrath, only smiled, having cast a glance at him. At that glance, however,
the chief of the celestials was at once paralysed and stood there like a
stake. When the game at dice was over, Isana addressing the weeping woman
said, 'Bring Sakra hither, for I shall soon so deal with him that pride
may not again enter his heart.' As soon as Sakra was touched by that woman,
the chief of the celestials with limbs paralysed by that touch, fell down
on the earth. The illustrious Isana of fierce energy then said unto him,
'Act not, O Sakra, ever again in this way. Remove this huge stone, for thy
strength and energy are immeasurable, and enter the hole (it will
disclose) where await some others possessing the splendour of the sun and
who are all like unto thee.' Indra, then, on removing that stone, beheld a
cave in the breast of that king of mountains, within which were four
others resembling himself. Beholding their plight, Sakra became seized
with grief and exclaimed, 'Shall I be even like these?' Then the god
Girisha, looking full at Indra with expanded eyes, said in anger, 'O thou
of a hundred sacrifices, enter this cave without loss of time, for thou
hast from folly insulted me.' Thus addressed by the lord Isana, the chief
of the celestials, in consequence of that terrible imprecation, was deeply
pained, and with limbs weakened by fear trembled like the wind-shaken leaf
of a Himalayan fig. And cursed unexpectedly by the god owning a bull for
his vehicle, Indra, with joined hands and shaking from head to foot,
addressed that fierce god of multi-form manifestations, saying, 'Thou art,
O Bhava, the over-looker of the infinite Universe!' Hearing these words
the god of fiery energy smiled and said, 'Those that are of disposition
like thine never obtain my grace. These others (within the cave) had at
one time been like thee. Enter thou this cave, therefore, and lie there
for some time. The fate of you all shall certainly be the same. All of you
shall have to take your birth in the world of men, where, having achieved
many difficult feats and slaying a large number of men, ye shall again by
the merits of your respective deeds, regain the valued region of Indra. Ye
shall accomplish all I have said and much more besides, of other kinds of
work.' Then those Indras, of their shorn glory said, 'We shall go from our
celestial regions even unto the region of men where salvation is ordained
to be difficult of acquisition. But let the gods Dharma, Vayu, Maghavat,
and the twin Aswins beget us upon our would-be mother. Fighting with men
by means of both celestial and human weapons, we shall again come back
into the region of Indra.'"
"'Vyasa continued, "Hearing these words of the former Indras, the wielder
of the thunderbolt once more addressed that foremost of gods, saying,
'Instead of going myself, I shall, with a portion of my energy, create
from myself a person for the accomplishment of the task (thou assignest)
to form the fifth among these!' Vishwabhuk, Bhutadhaman, Sivi of great
energy, Santi the fourth, and Tejaswin, these it is said were the five
Indras of old. And the illustrious god of the formidable bow, from his
kindness, granted unto the five Indras the desire they cherished. And he
also appointed that woman of extraordinary beauty, who was none else than
celestial Sri (goddess of grace) herself, to be their common wife in the
world of men. Accompanied by all those Indras, the god Isana then went
unto Narayana of immeasurable energy, the Infinite, the Immaterial, the
Uncreate, the Old, the Eternal, and the Spirit of these universes without
limits. Narayana approved of everything. Those Indras then were born in
the world of men. And Hari (Narayana) took up two hairs from his body, one
of which hairs was black and the other white. And those two hairs entered
the wombs of two of the Yadu race, by name Devaki and Rohini. And one of
these hairs viz., that which was white, became Valadeva. And the hair that
was black was born as Kesava's self, Krishna. And those Indras of old who
had been confined in the cave on the Himavat are none else than the sons
of Pandu, endued with great energy. And Arjuna amongst the Pandavas,
called also Savyasachin (using both hands with equal dexterity) is a
portion of Sakra."
"'Vyasa continued, "Thus, O king, they who have been born as the Pandavas
are none else than those Indras of old. And the celestial Sri herself who
had been appointed as their wife is this Draupadi of extraordinary beauty.
How could she whose effulgence is like that of the sun or the moon, whose
fragrance spreads for two miles around, take her birth in any other than
an extraordinary way, viz., from within the earth, by virtue of the
sacrificial rites? Unto thee, O king, I cheerfully grant this other boon
in the form of spiritual sight. Behold now the sons of Kunti endued with
their sacred and celestial bodies of old!"'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Saying this, that sacred Brahmana Vyasa of
generous deeds, by means of his ascetic power, granted celestial sight
unto the king. Thereupon the king beheld all the Pandavas endued with
their former bodies. And the king saw them possessed of celestial bodies,
with golden crowns and celestial garlands, and each resembling Indra
himself, with complexions radiant as fire or the sun, and decked with
every ornament, and handsome, and youthful, with broad chests and statures
measuring about five cubits. Endued with every accomplishment, and decked
with celestial robes of great beauty and fragrant garlands of excellent
making the king beheld them as so many three-eyed gods (Mahadeva), or
Vasus, or Rudras, or Adityas themselves. And observing the Pandavas in the
forms of those Indras of old, and Arjuna also in the form of Indra sprung
from Sakra himself, king Drupada was highly pleased. And the monarch
wondered much on beholding that manifestation of celestial power under
deep disguise. The king looking at his daughter, that foremost of women
endued with great beauty, like unto a celestial damsel and possessed of
the splendour of fire or the moon, regarded her as the worthy wife of
those celestial beings, for her beauty, splendour and fame. And beholding
that wonderful sight, the monarch touched the feet of Satyavati's son,
exclaiming, "O great Rishi, nothing is miraculous in thee!" The Rishi then
cheerfully continued, "In a certain hermitage there was an illustrious
Rishi's daughter, who, though handsome and chaste, obtained not a husband.
The maiden gratified, by severe ascetic penances, the god Sankara
(Mahadeva). The lord Sankara, gratified at her penances, told her himself,
'Ask thou the boon thou desirest.' Thus addressed, the maiden repeatedly
said unto the boon-giving Supreme Lord, 'I desire to obtain a husband
possessed of every accomplishment.' Sankara, the chief of the gods,
gratified with her, gave her the boon she asked, saying, 'Thou shall have,
amiable maiden, five husbands.' The maiden, who had succeeded in
gratifying the god, said again, 'O Sankara, I desire to have from thee
only one husband possessed of every virtue.' The god of gods, well-pleased
with her, spake again, saying, 'Thou hast, O maiden, addressed me five
full times, repeating, "Give me a husband." Therefore, O amiable one, it
shall even be as thou hast asked. Blessed be thou. All this, however, will
happen in a future life of thine!'"
"'Vyasa continued, "O Drupada, this thy daughter of celestial beauty is
that maiden. Indeed, the faultless Krishna sprung from Prishata's race
hath been pre-ordained to become the common wife of five husbands. The
celestial Sri, having undergone severe ascetic penances, hath, for the
sake of the Pandavas, had her birth as thy daughter, in the course of thy
grand sacrifice. That handsome goddess, waited upon by all the celestials,
as a consequence of her own acts becomes the (common) wife of five
husbands. It is for this that the self-create had created her. Having
listened to all this, O king Drupada, do what thou desirest."'"