The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 2,273 pages of information about The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1.

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 2,273 pages of information about The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1.

“Vibhandaka said, ’Those are, O son!  Rakshasas.  They walk about in that wonderfully beautiful form.  Their strength is unrivalled and their beauty great And they always meditate obstruction to the practice of penances.  And, O my boy, they assume lovely forms and try to allure by diverse means.  And those fierce beings hurled the saints, the dwellers of the woods, from blessed regions (won by their pious deeds) And the saint who hath control over his soul, and who is desirous of obtaining the regions where go the righteous, ought to have nothing to do with them.  And their acts are vile and their delight is in causing obstruction to those who practise penance; (therefore) a pious man should never look at them.  And, O son! those were drinks unworthy to be drunk, being as they were spirituous liquors consumed by unrighteous men.  And these garlands, also, bright and fragrant and of various hues, are not intended for saints.’  Having thus forbidden his son by saying that those were wicked demons, Vibhandaka went in quest of her.  And when by three day’s search he was unable to trace where she was he then came back to his own hermitage.  In the meanwhile, when the son of Kasyapa had gone out to gather fruits, then that very courtesan came again to tempt Rishyasringa in the manner described above.  And as soon as Rishyasringa had her in sight, he was glad and hurriedly rushing towards him said, ’Let us go to thy hermitage before the return of my father.’  Then, O king! those same courtesans by contrivances made the only son of Kasyapa enter their bark, and unmoored the vessel.  And by various means they went on delighting him and at length came to the side of Anga’s king.  And leaving then that floating vessel of an exceedingly white tint upon the water, and having placed it within sight of the hermitage, he similarly prepared a beautiful forest known by the name of the Floating Hermitage.  The king, however, kept that only son of Vibhandaka within that part of the palace destined for the females when of a sudden he beheld that rain was poured by the heavens and that the world began to be flooded with water.  And Lomapada, the desire of his heart fulfilled, bestowed his daughter Santa on Rishyasringa in marriage.  And with a view to appease the wrath of his father, he ordered kine to be placed, and fields to be ploughed, by the road that Vibhandaka was to take, in order to come to his son.  And the king also placed plentiful cattle and stout cowherds, and gave the latter the following order: 

“When the great saint Vibhandaka should enquire of you about his son, ye must join your palms and say to him that these cattle, and these ploughed fields belong to his son and that ye are his slaves, and that ye are ready to obey him in all that he might bid.’  Now the saint, whose wrath was fierce, came to his hermitage, having gathered fruits and roots and searched for his son.  But not finding him he became exceedingly wroth.  And he was tortured with anger and suspected

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The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.