Maha Bharata : The Epic of Ancient India

[Dark Saint Alaick]

All was dark and then I witnessed, was it but a fleeting dream,
God or Vision, dark and dreadful, in the deepening shadows gleam!

Was this dream my fair Savitri, dost thou of this Vision know?
Tell me, for before my eyesight still the Vision seems to glow!"

"Darkness thickens," said Savitri, "and the evening waxeth late,
When the morrow's light returneth I shall all these scenes narrate,

Now arise, for darkness gathers, deeper grows the gloomy night,
And thy loving anxious parents trembling wait thy welcome sight,

Hark the rangers of the forest! how their voices strike the ear!
Prowlers of the darksome jungle! how they fill my breast with fear!

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Forest-fire is raging yonder, for I see a distant gleam,
And the rising evening breezes help the red and radiant beam,

Let me fetch a burning faggot and prepare a friendly light,
With these fallen withered branches chase the shadows of the night,

And if feeble still thy footsteps,--long and weary is our way,--
By the fire repose, my husband, and return by light of day."

"For my parents, fondly anxious," Satyavan thus made reply,
"Pains my heart and yearns my bosom, let us to their cottage hie,

When I tarried in the jungle or by day or dewy eve,
Searching in the hermitages often did my parents grieve,

[Dark Saint Alaick]

And with father's soft reproaches and with mother's loving fears,
Chid me for my tardy footsteps, dewed me with their gentle tears!

Think then of my father's sorrow, of my mother's woeful plight,
If afar in wood and jungle pass we now the livelong night,

Wife beloved, I may not fathom what mishap or load of care,
Unknown dangers, unseen sorrows, even now my parents share!"

Gentle drops of filial sorrow trickled down his manly eye,
Pond Savitri sweetly speaking softly wiped the tear-drops dry:

"Trust me, husband, if Savitri hath been faithful in her love,
If she hath with pious offerings served the righteous gods above,

[Dark Saint Alaick]

If she hath a sister's kindness unto brother men performed,
If she hath in speech and action unto holy truth conformed,

Unknown blessings, mighty gladness, trust thy ever faithful wife,
And not sorrows or disasters wait this eve our parents' life!"

Then she rose and tied her tresses, gently helped her lord to rise,
Walked with him the pathless jungle, looked with love into his eyes,

On her neck his clasping left arm sweetly winds in soft embrace,
Round his waist Savitri's right arm doth sweetly interlace,

Thus they walked the darksome jungle, silent stars looked from above,
And the hushed and throbbing midnight watched Savitri's deathless love.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

BOOK VI

GO-HARANA

(Cattle-Lifting)


The conditions of the banishment of the sons of Pandu were hard. They
must pass twelve years in exile, and then they must remain a year in
concealment. If they were discovered within this last year, they must
go into exile for another twelve years.

Having passed the twelve years of exile in forests, the Pandav
brothers disguised themselves and entered into the menial service
of Virata, king of the Matsyas, to pass the year of concealment.
Yudhishthir presented himself as a Brahman, skilled in dice, and
became a courtier of the king. Bhima entered the king's service
as cook. For Arjun, who was so well known, a stricter concealment
was necessary. He wore conch bangles and earrings and braided
his hair, like those unfortunate beings whom nature has debarred
from the privileges of men and women, and he lived in the inner
apartments of the king. He assumed the name of _Brihannala_, and
taught the inmates of the royal household in music and dancing.
Nakula became a keeper of the king's horses, and Sahadeva took
charge of the king's cows. Draupadi too disguised herself as a
waiting-woman, and served the princess of the Matsya house in that
humble capacity.

In these disguises the Pandav brothers safely passed a year in
concealment in spite of all search which Duryodhan made after them.
At last an incident happened which led to their discovery when the
year was out.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Cattle-lifting was a common practice with the kings of ancient India,
as with the chiefs of ancient Greece. The king of the Trigartas and
the king of the Kurus combined and fell on the king of the Matsyas
in order to drive off the numerous herd of fine cattle for which his
kingdom was famed. The Trigartas entered the Matsya kingdom from
the south-east, and while Virata went out with his troops to meet
the foe, Duryodhan with his Kuru forces fell on the kingdom from
the north.

When news came that the Kurus had invaded the kingdom, there was
no army in the capital to defend it. King Virata had gone out with
most of his troops to face the Trigartas in the south-east, and the
prince Uttara had no inclination to face the Kurus in the north. The
disguised Arjun now came to the rescue in the manner described in
this Book. The description of the bows, arrows, and swords of the
Pandav brothers which they had concealed in a tree, wrapped like
human corpses to frighten away inquisitive travellers, throws some
light on the arts and manufacture of ancient times. The portions
translated in this Book form Sections xxxv., xxxvi., xl. to xliii.,
a portion of Section xliv., and Sections liii. and lxxii. of Book iv.
of the original text.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

I

Complaint of the Cowherd


Monarch of the mighty Matsyas, brave Virata known to fame,
Marched against Trigarta chieftains who from southward regions came,

From the north the proud Duryodhan, stealing onwards day by day,
Swooped on Matsya's fattened cattle like the hawk upon its prey!

Bhishma, Drona, peerless Karna, led the Kuru warriors brave,
Swept the kingdom of Virata like the ocean's surging wave,

Fell upon the trembling cowherds, chased them from the pasture-field,
Sixty thousand head of cattle was the Matsya country's yield!

And the wailing chief of cowherds fled forlorn, fatigued and spent,
Speeding on his rapid chariot to the royal city went,

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Came inside the city portals, came within the palace gate,
Struck his forehead in his anguish and bewailed his luckless fate.

Meeting there the prince Uttara, youth of beauty and of fame,
Told him of the Kurus' outrage and lamented Matsya's shame:

"Sixty thousand head of cattle, bred of Matsya's finest breed,
To Hastina's distant empire do the Kuru chieftains lead!

Glory of the Matsya nation! save thy father's valued kine,
Quick thy footsteps, strong thy valour, vengeance deep and dire be thine!

'Gainst the fierce Trigarta chieftains Matsya's warlike king is gone,
Thee we count our lord and saviour as our monarch's gallant son!

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Rise, Uttara! beat the Kurus, homeward lead the stolen kine,
Like an elephant of jungle, pierce the Kurus' shattered line!

As the _Vina_ speaketh music, by musicians tuned aright,
Let thy sounding bow and arrows speak thy deeds of matchless might!

Harness quick thy milk-white coursers to thy sounding battle-car,
Hoist thy golden lion-banner, speed thee, prince, unto the war!

And as thunder-wielding INDRA smote _asuras_ fierce and bold,
Smite the Kurus with thy arrows winged with plumes of yellow gold!

As the famed and warlike Arjun is the stay of Kuru's race,
Thou art refuge of the Matsyas and thy kingdom's pride and grace!"

[Dark Saint Alaick]

But the prince went not to battle from the foe to guard the State,
To the cowherd answered gaily, sheltered by the palace gate:

"Not unknown to me the usage of the bow and wingéd dart,
Not unknown the warrior's duty or the warrior's noble art,

I would win my father's cattle from the wily foeman's greed,
If a skilful chariot-driver could my fiery coursers lead,

For my ancient chariot-driver died on battle's gory plain,
Eight and twenty days we wrestled, many warlike chiefs were slain!

Bring me forth a skilful driver who can urge the battle-steed,
I will hoist my lion-banner, to the dubious battle speed!