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<strong>MAHABHARATA</strong> BOOK III RAJASUYA (The Imperial Sacrifice) A CURIOUS incident followed the bridal of Draupadi. The five sons of Panda returned with her to the potter's house, where they were living on alms according to the custom of
Brahmans, and the brothers reported to their mother that they had received a great gift on that day. "Enjoy ye the gift in common," replied their mother, not knowing what it was. And as a mother's mandate cannot be disregarded, Draupadi became the common wife of the five brothers. The real significance of this strange legend is unknown. The custom of brothers marrying a common wife prevails to this day in Thibet and among the hill-tribes of the Himalayas, but it never prevailed among the Aryan Hindus of India. It is distinctly prohibited in their laws and institutes, and finds no sanction in their literature, ancient or modern. The legend in the Maha-bharata, of brothers marrying a wife in common, stands alone and without a parallel in Hindu traditions and literature. Judging from the main incidents of the Epic, Draupadi might rather be regarded as the wife of the eldest brother Yudhishthir. Bhima had already mated himself to a female in a forest, by whom he had a son, Ghatotkacha, who distinguished himself in war later on. Arjun too married the sister of Krishna, shortly after Draupadi's bridal, and had by her a son, Abhimanyu, who was one of the heroes of the war. On the other hand, Yudhishthir took to him self no wife save Draupadi, and she was crowned with Yudhishthir in the Rajasuya or Imperial Sacrifice. Notwithstanding the legend, therefore, Draupadi might be regarded as wedded to Yudhishthir, though won by the skill of Arjun, and this assumption would be in keeping with Hindu customs and laws, ancient and modern. The jealous Duryodhan heard that his contrivance to kill his cousins at Varanavata had failed. He also heard that they had found a powerful friend in Drupad, and had formed an alliance with him. It was no longer possible to keep them from their rightful inheritance. The Kuru kingdom was accordingly parcelled; Duryodhan retained the eastern and richer portion with its ancient capital Hastina-pura on the Ganges; and the sons of Panda were given the western portion on the Jumna, which was then a forest and a wilderness. The sons of Panda cleared the forest and built a new capital Indra-prastha, the supposed ruins of which, near modem Delhi, are still pointed out to the curious traveller. Yudhishthir, the eldest of the five sons of Pandu, and now king of Indra-prastlia, resolved to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice, which was a formal assumption of the Imperial title over all the kings of ancient India. His brothers went out with troops in all directions to proclaim his supremacy over all surrounding kings. Jarasandha, the powerful and semicivilised king of Magadha or South Behar, opposed and was killed; but other monarchs recognised the supremacy of Yudhishthir and came to the sacrifice with tributes. King Dhrita-rashtra and his sons, now reigning at Hastina-pura, were politely invited to take a share in the performance of the sacrifice. The portion translated in this Book forms Sections xxxiii. To xxxvi. and Section xliv. of Book ii. of the original. I
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Page 3 and 4: Skill in arms attained these prince
Page 5 and 6: Mighty sword and ample buckler, pon
Page 7 and 8: And with equal skill his rapier did
Page 9 and 10: Angry word is coward's weapon, Arju
Page 11 and 12: Is he soil of chariot-driver? Doubt
Page 13 and 14: THE mutual jealousies of the prince
Page 15 and 16: And the princes bowed unto him and
Page 17 and 18: And her golden bridal garland, carr
Page 19 and 20: Bright Immortals gaily crowding vie
Page 21 and 22: Holy men subsist on wild fruits, in
Page 23: Like wild elephants of jungle rushe
Page 27 and 28: FEAST AND SACRIFICE Jumna's dark an
Page 29 and 30: And on subjects great and sacred, o
Page 31 and 32: Ill beseems the good Yudhishthir, r
Page 33 and 34: Lowered Krishna's eye and forehead,
Page 35 and 36: "Done this glorious rajasuya, joy a
Page 37 and 38: DURYODHAN came back from the Imperi
Page 39 and 40: Sacred looks! with holy water dewed
Page 41 and 42: For they censure not a woman, when
Page 43 and 44: I have borne a child unto him, nobl
Page 45 and 46: Now once more the teaching cometh,
Page 47 and 48: Leave me not alone on wide earth, l
Page 49 and 50: Epic, impart a moral instruction to
Page 51 and 52: Aswapati, glad and grateful, take t
Page 53 and 54: Maiden! speak unto the rishi, and t
Page 55 and 56: "Monarch!" uttered then the rishi,
Page 57 and 58: Answered then the loving husband, a
Page 59 and 60: YAMA from the prince's body, pale a
Page 61 and 62: "Have thy object," answered YAMA, "
Page 63 and 64: Then she rose and tied her tresses,
Page 65 and 66: From the north the proud Duryodhan,
Page 67 and 68: Trained in war by mighty Arjun, tra
Page 69 and 70: Hark again this wondrous sabre, sha
Page 71 and 72: "That is Arjun's monkey-standard, h
Page 73 and 74: Pure is she in thought and action,
Page 75 and 76:
MAHABHARATA BOOK VII UDYOGA (The Co
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VALADEVA'S SPEECH Krishna's elder V
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Ancient Drupad wields his weapon pe
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Stretch thy hands, O Kuru monarch!
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Exiled into Varnavata, destined unt
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Then in gentler voice Vidura sought
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If in past in thoughtless folly onc
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Drupad proud and peerless monarch w
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But the fiercer darts of Drona pier
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For the wrongs and insults offered
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Licked his mouth the vengeful Bhima
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Mounted on their milk-white charger
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Dawned a day of mighty slaughter an
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And his younger, fierce Duhsasan, t
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Karna, though he loved not Bhishma
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Stoutest wrestlers in the armies, f
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Brave Nakula's sign was red deer wi
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Didst thou in the council chamber w
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Moments passed of voiceless sorrow
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Heavy on this bleeding bosom sits t
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Like an onward sweeping wildfire sh
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Ill it fared with Pandav forces, do
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KARNA AND ARJUN MEET Sights of red
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Ay, the son of Jamadagni, kings of
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Pale with anguish, wrathful Karna f
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Pardon if the blood of anger mantle
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Stung to fury and to madness, faint
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"Brothers, kinsmen, hero-warriors,"
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Ancient feud and hatred linger afte
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Men from stall and loom and anvil,
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And her tears like rains of summer
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Kings and princes, noble warriors,
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Didst thou, mother, bear the hero f
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meets, then take up a good many pag
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With his greetings did Yudhishthir,
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Round the altar's holy lustre moved
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But the bard and ancient rishi who
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Seek and find the brave Satyaki who
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the concluding books of the Epic is
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This appears to me to be a very sou
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them down, but he never seems to go
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charm and an attraction; and the mo
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Introduction by W. Max-Müller. 189
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IDA, a form of sacrificial offering
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