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I reside with those that are observant of the duties of their own order, or those that are conversant with the duties of |
righteousness, or those that are devoted to the service of the aged or those that have their passions under control, or those that |
are endued with cleansed souls or those that observe the virtue of forgiveness, or those that are able and prompt in action, or |
with such women as are forgiving and self-restrained. I reside with those women also that are devoted to truth and sincerity and |
that worship the deities. I do not reside with those women also that do not attend to household furniture and provisions |
scattered all around the house, and that always utter words contrary to the wishes of their husbands. I always avoid those |
women that are fond of the houses of other people and that have no modesty. On the other hand, I reside with those women that |
are devoted to their husbands, that are blessed in behaviour, and that are always decked in ornaments and attired in good robes. |
I always reside with those women that are truthful in speech, that are of handsome and agreeable features, that are blessed and |
that are endued with all accomplishments. I always avoid such women as are sinful and unclean or impure, as always lick the |
corners of their mouths, as have no patience or fortitude, and as are fond of dispute and quarrelling, as are given to much sleep, |
and as always lie down. I always reside in conveyances and the animals that drag them, in maidens, in ornaments and good |
vestments, in sacrifices, in clouds charged with rain, in full-blown lotuses, and in those stars that bespangle the autumnal |
firmament. I reside in elephants, in the cow pen, in good seats, and in lakes adorned with full-blown lotuses. I live also in such |
rivers as babble sweetly in their course, melodious with the music of cranes, having banks adorned with rows of diverse trees, |
and restored to by Brahmanas and ascetics and others crowned with success. I always reside in those rivers also that have deep |
and large volumes of rolling waters rendered turbid by lions and elephants plunging into them for bathing or slaking their |
thirst. I reside also in infuriate elephants, in bovine bulls, in kings, on the throne and good men. I always reside in that house in |
which the inmate pours libation on the sacrificial fire and worships kine, Brahmanas and the deities. I reside in that house |
where at the proper time offerings are made unto the deities, in course of worship.[29] I always reside in such Brahmanas as |
are devoted to the study of the Vedas, in Kshatriyas devoted to the observance of righteousness, in Vaisyas devoted to |
cultivation, and the Sudras devoted to the (menial) service of the three upper classes. I reside, with a heart firm and |
unchangeable, in Narayana, in my embodied self. In Him is righteousness in its perfection and full measure, devotion to the |
Brahmanas, and the quality of agreeableness. Can I not say, O lady that I do not reside in my embodied form, (in any of these |
places that I have mentioned, except Narayana)? That person in whom I reside in spirit increases in righteousness and fame and |
wealth and objects of desire.'" |
SECTION XII |
"Yudhishthira said, 'It behoveth, O king to tell me truly which of the two viz., man or woman derives the greater pleasure from |
an act of union with each other. Kindly resolve my doubt in this respect." |
"Bhishma said, 'In this connection is cited this old narrative of the discourse between Bhangaswana and Sakra as a precedent |
illustrating the question. In days of yore there lived a king of the name of Bhangaswana. He was exceedingly righteous and was |
known as a royal sage. He was, however, childless, O chief of man, and therefore performed a sacrifice from desire of |
obtaining an issue. The sacrifice which that mighty monarch performed was the Agnishtuta. In consequence of the fact that the |
deity of fire is alone adored in that sacrifice, this is always disliked by Indra. Yet it is the sacrifice that is desired by men when |
for the purpose of obtaining an issue they seek to cleanse themselves of their sins.[30] The highly blessed chief of the |
celestials, viz. Indra, learning that the monarch was desirous of performing the Agnishtuta, began from that moment to look for |
the laches of that royal sage of well-restrained soul (for if he could succeed in finding some laches, he could then punish his |
disregarder). Notwithstanding all his vigilance, however, O king, Indra failed to detect any laches, on the part of the high- |
souled monarch. Some time after, one day, the king went on a hunting expedition. Saying unto himself--This, indeed, is an |
opportunity,--Indra stupefied the monarch. The king proceeded alone on his horse, confounded because of the chief of the |
celestials having stupefied his senses. Afflicted with hunger and thirst, the king's confusion was so great that he could not |
ascertain the points of the compass. Indeed, afflicted with thirst, he began to wander hither and thither. He then beheld a lake |
that was exceedingly beautiful and was full of transparent water. Alighting from his steed, and plunging into the lake, he |
caused his animal to drink. Tying his horse then, whose thirst had been slaked, to a tree, the king plunged into the lake again |
for performing his ablutions. To his amazement he found that he was changed, by virtue of the waters, into a woman. |
Beholding himself thus transformed in respect of sex itself, the king became overpowered with shame. With his senses and |
mind completely agitated, he began to reflect with his whole heart in this strain:--Alas, how shall I ride my steed? How shall I |
return to my capital? In consequence of the Agnishtuta sacrifice I have got a hundred sons all endued with great might, and all |
children of my own loins. Alas, thus transformed, what shall I say unto them? What shall I say unto my spouses, my relatives |
and well-wishers, and my subjects of the city and the provinces? Rishis conversant with the truths of duty and religion and |
other matters say that mildness and softness and liability to extreme agitation are the attributes of women, and that activity, |
hardness, and energy are the attributes of men. Alas, my manliness has disappeared. For what reason has femininity come over |
me? In consequence of this transformation of sex, how shall I succeed in mounting my horse again?--Having indulged in these |
sad thoughts, the monarch, with great exertion, mounted his steed and came back to his capital, transformed though he had |
been into a woman. His sons and spouses and servants, and his subjects of the city and the provinces, beholding that |
extraordinary transformation, became exceedingly amazed. Then that royal sage, that foremost of eloquent men, addressing |
them all, said,--I had gone out on a hunting expedition, accompanied by a large force. Losing all knowledge of the points of the |
compass, I entered a thick and terrible forest, impelled by the fates. In that terrible forest, I became afflicted with thirst and lost |
my senses. I then beheld a beautiful lake abounding with fowl of every description. Plunging into that stream for performing |
my ablutions, I was transformed into a woman!--Summoning then his spouses and counsellors, and all his sons by their names, |
that best of monarchs transformed into a woman said unto them these words:--Do ye enjoy this kingdom in happiness. As |
regards myself, I shall repair to the woods, ye sons.--Having said so unto his children, the monarch proceeded to the forest. |
Arrived there, she came upon an asylum inhabited by an ascetic. By that ascetic the transformed monarch gave birth to a |
century of sons. Taking all those children of hers, she repaired to where her former children were, and addressing the latter, |
said,--Ye are the children of my loins while I was a man. These are my children brought forth by me in this state of |
transformation. Ye sons, do ye all enjoy my kingdom together, like brothers born of the same parents.--At this command of |
their parent, all the brothers, uniting together, began to enjoy the kingdom as their joint property. Beholding those children of |
the king all jointly enjoying the kingdom as brothers born of the same parents, the chief of the celestials, filled with wrath, |
began to reflect--By transforming this royal sage into a woman I have, it seems, done him good instead of an injury. Saying |
this, the chief of the celestials viz., Indra of a hundred sacrifices, assuming the form of a Brahmana, repaired to the capital of |
the king and meeting all the children succeeded in disuniting the princes. He said unto them--Brothers never remain at peace |
even when they happen to be the children of the same father. The sons of the sage Kasyapa, viz., the deities and the Asuras, |
quarrelled with each other on account of the sovereignty of the three worlds. As regards ye princes, ye are the children of the |
royal sage Bhangaswana. These others are the children of an ascetic. The deities and the Asuras are children of even one |
common sire, and yet the latter quarrelled with each other. How much more, therefore, should you quarrel with each other? |
This kingdom that is your paternal property is being enjoyed by these children of an ascetic. With these words, Indra succeeded |
in causing a breach between them, so that they were very soon engaged in battle and slew each other. Hearing this, king |
Bhangaswana, who was living as an ascetic woman, burnt with grief and poured forth her lamentations. The lord of the |
celestials viz. Indra, assuming the guise of a Brahmana, came to that spot where the ascetic lady was living and meeting her, |
said,--O thou that art possessed of a beautiful face, with what grief dost thou burn so that thou art pouring forth thy |
lamentations?--Beholding the Brahmana the lady told him in a piteous voice,--Two hundred sons of mine O regenerate one, |
have been slain by Time. I was formerly a king, O learned Brahmana and in that state had a hundred sons. These were begotten |
by me after my own form, O best of regenerate persons. On one occasion I went on a hunting expedition. Stupefied, I wandered |
amidst a thick forest. Beholding at last a lake, I plunged into it. Rising, O foremost of Brahmanas, I found that I had become a |
woman. Returning to my capital I installed my sons in the sovereignty of my dominions and then departed for the forest. |
Transformed into a woman, I bore a hundred sons to my husband who is a high souled ascetic. All of them were born in the |
ascetic's retreat. I took them to the capital. My children, through the influence of Time, quarrelled with each other, O twice- |
born one. Thus afflicted by Destiny, I am indulging in grief. Indra addressed him in these harsh words.--In former days, O lady, |
thou gayest me great pain, for thou didst perform a sacrifice that is disliked by Indra. Indeed, though I was present, thou didst |
not invoke me with honours. I am that Indra, O thou of wicked understanding. It is I with whom thou hast purposely sought |
hostilities. Beholding Indra, the royal sage fell at his feet, touching them with his head, and said,--Be gratified with me, O |
foremost of deities. The sacrifice of which thou speakest was performed from desire of offspring (and not from any wish to |
hurt thee). It behoveth thee therefore, to grant me thy pardon.--Indra, seeing the transformed monarch prostrate himself thus |
unto him, became gratified with him and desired to give him a boon. Which of your sons, O king, dost thou wish, should |
revive, those that were brought forth by thee transformed into a woman, or those that were begotten by thee in thy condition as |
a person of the male sex? The ascetic lady, joining her hands, answered Indra, saying, O Vasava, let those sons of mine come |
to life that were borne by me as a woman. Filled with wonder at this reply, Indra once more asked the lady, Why dost thou |
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