Mahabharata: Volume 7 by Bibek Debroy Read Free Book Online

ancestors and the gods. O king! While she was engaged in these terrible austerities, a long period of time elapsed. Her father had desired that she should be given away to a husband. However, she could not see a husband who was equal to her own self. She oppressed her mind and her body through those fierce austerities. In that deserted forest, she was devoted to worshipping the ancestors and the gods. O Indra among kings! Though she afflicted herself through austerities and was also overcome by old age, she did not regard herself to be exhausted. Finally, she was no longer capable of taking even a single step on her own. Therefore, she resolved to depart to the world hereafter.
    ‘On seeing that she wished to free herself of her body, Narada told her, “O unblemished one! Which worlds can a maiden who has not been married go to? O one who is great in vows! This is what we have heard in the world of the gods. Though you have performed supreme austerities, you have not obtained any worlds for yourself.” On hearing his words, she spoke in an assembly of rishis. “O supreme ones! I will give half of my austerities to anyone who accepts my hand.” Hearing this, a rishi named Sringavan, Galava’s son, accepted her hand. He proposed a pledge and told her, “O beautiful one! I will accept your hand with this pledge. You will live with me for only one night.” Accepting this pledge, she gave him her hand. Galava’s son accepted her hand and married her. O king! That night, she became young and as beautiful as a goddess. She was adorned in celestial ornaments and garments and adorned with divine garlands and unguents. On seeing her blazing beauty, Galava’s son was delighted. He spent a night with her. In the morning, she told him, “O brahmana! O supreme among ascetics! The pledge that I had taken with you is over. O fortunate one! Since that has been accomplished, may you be at peace. I will leave.” Obtaining his permission, she again said, “Anyone who controls himself and spends a night at this tirtha, offering oblations to the gods, will obtain the fruits that are obtained from observing brahmacharya for sixty-four years.” Having said this, the virtuous one gave up her body and went to heaven. The rishi wasdistressed and thought of her beauty. Because of the agreement, though he found it difficult, he accepted half of her austerities. O foremost among the Bharata lineage! He was miserable because of the power of her beauty. He cast off his own body and followed her. This is the great account about the conduct of the aged maiden. While the one with the plough as his weapon was there, he heard about Shalya’s death. O scorcher of enemies! He gave away gifts to the brahmanas there. He sorrowed that Shalya had been killed by the Pandavas in the battle. Madhava Rama then emerged through the gates of Samantapanchaka and asked the large number of rishis about what had transpired in Kurukshetra. O lord! Asked by the lion among the Yadu lineage, those great-souled ones told him everyting that had transpired in Kurukshetra, exactly as it had occurred.’

Chapter 1177(27)
    372 The word used is
shyama
. This means dark. But it also means a woman who hasn’t had a child or hasn’t been exposed to intercourse.
    373 Kubera.
    374 And are ready to be plucked.
    375 The sun.
    376 Meaning Garuda.
    377 Arjuna.
    378 There is a pun, because the word
shalya
means dart.
    379 The serpent Ashvasena survived the conflagration in Khandava, described in Section 19 (Volume 2). To wreak vengeance on Arjuna, he hid himself in the tip of an arrow that Karna would use in the battle.
    380 That is, prosperity.
    381 Arjuna’s mother (Pritha/Kunti) and Krishna’s father (Vasudeva) were brother and sister. Therefore, Krishna is the son of Arjuna’s maternal uncle. Arjuna is the son of Krishna’s father’s sister.
    382 Tarkshya is Garuda. Vishnu/Krishna has Garuda on his standard and Arjuna has an ape on his standard.
    383 Madraka is the same as