220.  The first line of 20 is differently read in the Bombay text.  It runs,—­’steadfastly observing my vow, I shall make arrangements for many sacrifices, creating the articles I want by thought alone (or fiats of my will).’

221.  Probably, the sense is this:  If a Brahmana produced extraordinary results by his penances, a portion of his penances was supposed to be destroyed.  The Rishis did not like that any portion of Agastya’s penances should be spent for completing his sacrifice.

222.  It is difficult to resist the conviction that as much of this section as relates to the mongoose is an interpolation.  The Brahmanas could not bear the idea of a sacrifice with such profusion of gifts, as that of Yudhishthira, being censurable.  Hence the invention about the transformation of the mongoose.  Truly speaking, the doctrine is noble of the gift of a small quantity of barley made under the circumstances being superior in point of merit to even a Horse-sacrifice performed by a king with gifts in profusion made to the Brahmanas

The Mahabharata

of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

BOOK 15

ASRAMAVASIKA PARVA

Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text

by

Kisari Mohan Ganguli

[1883-1896]

Scanned at sacred-texts.com, 2003.  Proofed by John Bruno Hare.

SECTION I

(Asramavasa Parva)

Om!  After having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the foremost of men, and unto the goddess Saraswati also, must the word Jaya be uttered.

“Janamejaya said ’After having acquired their kingdom, how did my grandsires, the high-souled Pandavas, conduct themselves towards the high-souled king Dhritarashtra?  How, indeed, did that king who had all his counsellors and sons slain, who was without a refuge, and whose affluence had disappeared, behave?  How also did Gandhari of great fame conduct herself?  For how many years did my high-souled grandsires rule the kingdom?  It behoveth thee to tell me all this.’

“Vaisampayana said, ’Having got back their kingdom, the high-souled Pandavas, their foes all slain, ruled the Earth, placing Dhritarashtra at their head.  Vidura, and Sanjaya and Yuyutsu of great intelligence, who was Dhritarashtra’s son by his Vaisya wife, used to wait upon Dhritarashtra.  The Pandavas used to take the opinion of that king in all matters.  Indeed, for ten and five years, they did all things under the advice of the old king.  Those heroes used very often to go to that monarch and sit beside him, after having worshipped his feet, agreeably to the wishes of king Yudhishthira the just.  They did all things under the command of Dhritarashtra who smelt their heads in affection.  The daughter