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O mighty-armed one and having learnt what it is, it behoves thee to explain it unto me. I have a great curiosity with respect to |
Jamadagni's son, O lord, viz., Rama, that foremost of all righteous persons. It behoveth thee to gratify that curiosity. How was |
Rama born who was endued with prowess incapable of being baffled? He belonged by birth to a race of regenerate Rishis. How |
did he become a follower of Kshatriya practices? Do thou, then, O king, recite to me in detail the circumstances of Rama's |
birth. How also did a son of the race of Kusika who was Kshatriya become a Brahmana? Great, without doubt, was the |
puissance of the high-souled Rama, O chief of men, as also of Viswamitra. Why did the grandson of Richika instead of his son |
become a Kshatriya in conduct? Why also did the grandson of Kusika and not his son become a Brahmana? Why did such |
untoward incidents overtake the grandsons of both, instead of their sons? It behoveth thee to explain the truth in respect of |
these circumstances.' |
"Bhishma said, 'In this connection is cited an old history of the discourse between Chyavana and Kusika, O Bharata! Endued |
with great intelligence, Chyavana of Bhrigu's race, that best of ascetics beheld (with his spiritual eye) the stain that would |
affect his own race (in consequence of some descendant of his becoming wedded to Kshatriya practice). Reflecting upon the |
merits and faults of that incident, as also its strength and weakness, Chyavana endued with wealth of asceticism became |
desirous of consuming the race of the Kusikas (for it was from that race that the stain of Kshatriya practices would, he knew, |
affect his own race). Repairing then to the presence of king Kusika, Chyavana said unto him, 'O sinless one, the desire has |
arisen in my heart of dwelling with thee for some time.' |
"Kusika said, 'O holy one, residence together is an act which the learned ordain for girls when these are given away. They that |
are endued with wisdom always speak of the practice in such connection only. O Rishi endued with wealth of asceticism, the |
residence which thou seekest with me is not sanctioned by the ordinance. Yet, however opposed to the dictates of duty and |
righteousness, I shall do what thou mayst be pleased to command.' |
"Bhishma continued, 'Ordering a seat to be placed for the great ascetic Chyavana, king Kusika, accompanied by his wife, stood |
in the presence of the ascetic. Bringing a little jar of water, the king offered him water for washing his feet. He then, through |
his, servants, caused all the rites to be duly performed in honour of his high-souled guest. The high-souled Kusika, who was |
observant of restraints and vows, then cheerfully presented, according to due forms, the ingredients consisting of honey and the |
other things, to the great Rishi and induced him to accept the same. Having welcomed and honoured the learned Brahmana in |
this way, the king once more addressed him and said, 'We two await thy orders! Command us what we are to do for thee, O |
holy one! If it is our kingdom or wealth or kine, O thou of rigid vows, or all articles that are given away in sacrifices, which |
thou wantest, tell us the word, and we shall bestow all upon thee! This palace, the kingdom, this seat of justice, await thy |
pleasure. Thou art the lord of all these! Do thou rule the earth! As regards myself, I am completely dependent upon thee.' |
Addressed in these words by the king, Chyavana of Bhrigu's race, filled with great delight, said unto Kusika these words in |
reply.' |
"Chyavana said, 'I do not, O king, covet thy kingdom, nor thy wealth, nor the damsels thou hast, nor thy kine, nor thy |
provinces, nor articles needed for sacrifice. Do thou listen to me. If it pleases thee and thy wife, I shall commence to observe a |
certain vow. I desire thee and thy wife to serve me during that period without any scruples. Thus addressed by the Rishi, the |
king and the queen became filled with joy, O Bharata, and answered him, saving, 'Be it so, O Rishi!' Delighted with the Rishi's |
words, the king led him into an apartment of the palace. It was an excellent one, agreeable to see. The king showed him |
everything in that room. And the king said. 'This, O holy one, is thy bed. Do thou live here as thou pleasest! O thou that art |
endued with wealth of asceticism, myself and my queen shall strive our best to give thee every comfort and every pleasure.' |
While they were thus conversing with each other, the sun passed the meridian. The Rishi commanded the king to bring him |
food and drink, King Kusika, bowing unto the Rishi, asked him, saying, 'What kind of food is agreeable to thee? What food, |
indeed, shall be brought for thee?' Filled with delight, the Rishi answered that rule of men, O Bharata, saying, 'Let food that is |
proper be given to me.' Receiving these words with respect, the king said, 'So be it!' and then offered unto the Rishi food of the |
proper kind. Having finished his meals, the holy Chyavana, conversant with every duty, addressed the king and the queen, |
saying, 'I desire to slumber. O puissant one, sleep hinders me now.' Proceeding thence to a chamber that had been prepared for |
him, that best of Rishis then laid himself down upon a bed. The king and the queen sat themselves down. The Rishi said to |
them, 'Do not, while I sleep, awake me. Do ye keep yourselves awake and continually press my feet as long as I sleep.' Without |
the least scruple, Kusika, conversant with every duty, said, 'So be it!' Indeed, the king and the queen kept themselves awake all |
night, duly engaged in tending and serving the Rishi in the manner directed. The royal couple, O monarch accomplished the |
Rishi's bidding with earnestness and attention. Meanwhile the holy Brahmana, having thus laid his commands upon the king, |
slept soundly, without changing his posture or turning even once, for a space of one and twenty days. The king, O delighter of |
the Kurus, foregoing all food, along with his wife, sat joyfully the whole time engaged in tending and serving the Rishi. On the |
expiration of one and twenty days, the son of Bhrigu rose of his own accord. The great ascetic then went out of the room, |
without accosting them at all. Famished and toil-worn the king and the queen followed him, but that foremost of Rishis did not |
deign to cast a single glance upon any of them. Proceeding a little way, the son of Bhrigu disappeared in the very sight of the |
royal couple (making himself invisible by his Yoga-power). At this, the king, struck with grief, fell down on the earth. |
Comforted, he rose up soon, and accompanied by his queen, the monarch, possessed of great splendour, began to search |
everywhere for the Rishi.' |
SECTION LIII |
"Yudhishthira said, 'After the Rishi had disappeared, what did the king do and what also did highly-blessed spouse do? Tell me |
this, O grandsire!' |
"Bhishma said, 'Having lost sight of the Rishi, the king, overwhelmed with shame, toil-worn and losing his senses, returned to |
his palace, accompanied by his queen. Entering his mansion in a cheerless mood, he spoke not a word with any one. He |
thought only of that conduct of Chyavana. With a despairing heart he then proceeded to his chamber. There he saw the son of |
Bhrigu stretched as before on his bed. Beholding the Rishi there, they wondered much. Indeed, they began to reflect upon that |
very strange incident. The sight of the Rishi dispelled their fatigue. Taking their seats once more by his side, they again set |
themselves to gently press his feet as before. Meanwhile, the great ascetic continued to sleep soundly as before. Only, he now |
lay on another side. Endued with great energy, he thus passed another period measured by one and twenty day. Agitated by |
their fears, the royal couple showed no change in their attitude or sentiment towards the Rishi. Awaking then from his slumber, |
the ascetic addressed the king and the queen, saying, 'Do ye rub my body with oil. I wish to have a bath.' Famishing and toil- |
worn though they were they readily assented, and soon approached the Rishi with a costly oil that had been prepared by boiling |
it a hundred times. While the Rishi was seated at his ease, the king and the queen, restraining speech, continued to rub him. |
Endued with high ascetic merit the son of Bhrigu did not once utter the word 'Sufficient.' Bhrigu's son, however, saw that the |
royal couple were totally unmoved. Rising up suddenly, he entered the bathing chamber. The diverse article necessary for a |
bath and such as were fit for a king's use, were ready there. Without honouring, however, any of those articles by appropriating |
them to his use, the Rishi once more disappeared there and then by his Yoga-power, in the very sight of king Kusika (and his |
spouse). This, however, O chief of the Bharatas, failed to disturb the equanimity of the royal couple. The next time the puissant |
Rishi was seen seated, after a bath on the throne. Indeed, it was from that place that he then showed himself to the king and the |
queen, O delighter of the Kurus. With a cheerful face, king Kusika, together with his wife, then offered the Rishi cooked food |
with great reverence. Endued with wisdom, and with heart totally unmoved, Kusika made this offer. 'Let the food be brought' |
were the words that were then uttered by the ascetic. Assisted by his spouse, the king soon brought thither the food. There were |
diverse kinds of meat and different preparations also thereof. There was a great variety of vegetables also and pot-herbs. There |
were juicy cakes too among those viands, and several agreeable kinds of confectionery, and solid preparations of milk. Indeed, |
the viands offered presented different kinds of taste. Among them there was also some food--the produce of the wilderness-- |
such as ascetics liked and took. Diverse agreeable kinds of fruit, fit to be eaten by kings, were also there. There were Vadaras |
and Ingudas and Kasmaryas and Bhallatakas. Indeed, the food that was offered contained such things as are taken by persons |
leading a domestic mode of life as also such things as are taken by denizens of the wilderness. Through fear of the Rishi's |
curse, the king had caused all kinds of food to be collected and dressed for his guest. All this food, brought from the kitchen, |
was placed before Chyavana. A seat was also placed for him and a bed too was spread. The viands were then caused to be |
covered with white cloths. Soon, however, Chyavana of Bhrigu's race set fire to all the things and reduced them to ashes. |
Possessed of great intelligence, the royal couple showed no wrath at this conduct of the Rishi, who once more, after this made |
himself invisible before the very eyes of the king and the queen. The Royal sage Kusika thereupon stood there in the same |
posture for the whole night, with his spouse by his side, and without speaking a word. Endued with great prosperity, he did not |
give way to wrath. Every day, good and pure food of diverse kinds, excellent beds, abundant articles needed for bath, and |
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