Parva: A tale of war, Peace, Love, Death, God, and Man

424 Pages·2009·30.93 MB·English

P A R V A
(A tale of war, peace, love, death, god and man)
(Kan nada Novel)
BY
S.L. Bhyrappa
Translated into English
BY
K. Raghavendra Rao
The sculpture reproduced on the endpaper depicts a scene where
three soothsayers are interpreting to King Suddhodana the dream
of Queen Maya, mother of Lord Buddha. Below them is seated a
scribe recording the interpretation. This is perhaps the earhest ii
-,
avqilable pictorial record of the aEt of writing in India.
- From :N agarjunakonda, 2nd century A.D. --
Sahitya Akademi
Courtesy : National Museum, New Delhi.
Foreword
Sahitya Akademi (Written for original Kannada edition)
Rabindra Bhavan, 35, Ferozeshah Road,
My thinking about the historical veracity of the events of the
New Delhi 110 001.
Mahabharata began about twenty years ago, and took an interim
Sales : 'Swat?, Mandir Marg, New Delhi 110001..
shape during a discussion I had with Dr. ~ara~anai~n p19a6 6 in
ADA Ranga Mandira, 109, J.C. Road,
Chikamagalur. He had tried several times earlier to persuade me
-
Bangalore 500 002.
to write a novel based on the Mahiibhiiruta. The following year,
23A/44X, Diamond Harbour Road, Calcutta 700 053. when I was roaming round in the Gadhwal area in the Himalayan
"Guna Buildings" IInd Floor, 304-305 Anna Salai, region, I had the occassion to spend some time in a small hamlet
Teynampet, Madras - 600 018. which practised polyandry. The local folk believed that this
172, Mumbai Marathi Grantha Sangrahalaya Marg, custom had been in existence since the time of Draupadi. The
Dadar, Bombay 400 014. practice was predominant in the rural areas of two Taluks. Later I
visited Pandukeshwar, nestling in the greenland between Badri
and Joshismath, where I learnt the details about the local customs
and history. It was then that I began to conceive hazily some of the
characters in the Mahabharata. From 1971 on, I was deeply
engaged in serious research pertaining to the historicity of the epic.
After a thorough reading of the original Vyasa version &the text,
I undertook a deep investigation into the economic, pol$ical,
religious and social life during the last phase of the Vedic culture.
After a study stretching over five years, in 1974 I toured and briefly
lived in those parts of the Himalayan region which were associated
with the Mahabharata. Subsequently in 1975, I visited and studied
O Kannada original : S.B. Saraswati
Dwaraka, Aravali ranges, Viratanagar, Mathura, Delhi,
O English Translation : Sahitya Akademi
Kurukshetra, Hastinavati, Barnava, Chakranagara, Rajgir and
First Published 1994
other places connected with the epic. But prior to this study tour
and investigation, I armed myself with the necessary knowledge,
thanks to the help of Dr. Ramesh, then with-the Mysore unit of the
Rs. 200
Archaelogical Survey of India. Mrs Leela, incidentally a grand-
daughter of thegreat teacher and scholar, A.R. Krishnasastry, who
was on the staff of the Library of Mysore University, assisted me
generously with relevant books and documents. Throughout my
researches, Shri N. Balasubrahmanya; played a key role in helping
me clarify my ideas on the subject, through intense discussions. At
Published by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, and one stage, such help flowed from Pa.Vem. Acharya. Experts like
Dr. JJ.T haker, Acharya Devendraji Sharma, and Dr. H.A. Phadke,
Laser typesetting by Sri Maruthy Laser Printers, Madras.
provided me with historical data pertaining respectively to
Printed at Vinayaka offset Printers, Bangalore.
vii
subjectively so immediate and internal. They persist as objective
Dwaraka, Viratnagar and Kurukshetra. In Delhi, Dr.
scholarly data, resisting any interna'lisation. But Dwaraka had
B.V.Subbarayappa, Chief Editor, the Indian Council of History of become part of my internal experience. .. I felt as if I had actually
Science, placed at my disposal very useful material.
been there in Dwaraka, and knew like the back of my hand its
I completed writing this novel between 12 October 1975 and streets and lanes. I felt confident that I could negotiate them
27 December 1976, covering a period of one year and two months. without difficulty and with skill.
Some of the early portions were written in a room in the Vedanta
"Near a place called Viratnagar in Jaipur district, where the
College of the Ramakrishna. Ashrarna in Mysore. Later M.S.K.
fight over Gograhana, a minor Kurukshetra, had occurred, there is
Prabhu, Prabhushankar and N. Balasubrahrnanya read the
a cave called Bhima's cave... It is a local custom for newly-weds
manuscript. These friends enabled me to gain a critical perspective
even today to visit thecaveand offerw orship to Bhima. At the time
on my own work. When I was wrestling hard to pick on a suitable
I was visiting it, a newly-wed couple were also visiting it. I asked
dti l e for the novel, Ha.Ma. Nayak, helped me to settle on the title,
the new groom about the purpose of this worship. Straight came
arva. He also looked after the printing layout. I am genuinely
the reply: 'Should anyonecast his eyes on my wife, God Bhima will
/ grateful to all these good friends.
grant me the power to finish him of f'... In these areas, the written
Both during the preparatory stage and the writing stage, a story of theMahabharata blends nicely with the life-practicesof the
number of well-wishersextended to me their helping hand,directly people. Though the incident of Keechakars death may not be true,
or indirectly. In this connection I may refer to a long article of mine, it has taken firm root in people's belief. The belief is true. What
which gives a detailed account of my preparatory research and the then is thesort of truthan imaginative writer should be after? Don't
various ideas that dominated me at different stages, as also the weall feel instinctively that we should destroy anyone who violates
actual writing of the work itself. Since it would be unfair to inflict thechastityor modesty of his wife? Do not even the Western males
that work on my readers here, and it is a long 50 to 60 pages stuff, behave in this way? This timeless, universal male instinct or male
I shall content myself by publishing separately that material under pride, leading to maledominance, can it not be a literary truth?
the title, "Why do I write?". However, I do think it would not be
out of order here, to focus on some important issues discussed "What is the real meaning of the term Aksohini? We get
there. nowhere a precise answer to this question ... ~encreef using to be
dragged into a futile debate over an undecidable matter, I merely
"I must confess that I have no adequate evidence to confirm or
computed the size of the armies involved in the Mahiibhiirata War
disconfirm beyond dispute the existence of Dwaraka, referred to
by lookingat the size of the war-area. It was clearly a size hitherto
by Dr. Thaker. Moreover, that is not a matter of interest to me. In ...
unknown to the Aryan people Why did all therulers of Aryavarta
the backdrop of the scholarly material I had read and digested
participate in this war? The traditional Makbhiirata calls this a
regarding Lothal, Harappa and Mohanjo Daro, I think Krishna's
Dharma Yuddha, the War of Righteousness. Yet the righteous
Dwaraka is at least plausible. Having travelled in this area, and
Pandavas commanded the support of far fewer rulers than the
watched the scene from the tower of the Light- house on the coast,
unrighteous. The majority of the rulers could have opted out,
I am ready to say that I found myself going back to the days of the
regarding the war as none of their business. But the Aryan kings
Yadavas, released from the restraints of 1975. The town of Dwaraka
were addicted to gambling, warring and womanising. That is why
as it must have been then, the sea, the lifeof its inhabitants, and its
they would rush to a Svayamvara. They were made of such stuff.
physical environment, became apart of my personal experience.
These were the sort of ideasand thoughts that drifted into my head,
While dealing with events of his own time, a writer has no problem
while I was going through the roads of Kurukshetra in a rickshaw
with factual details. They are already there, present in him
in the company of Dr. Phadke. It was then I made the mental note
subconsciously. He need only recall them to serve his contingent
that the war reflected the natureof the Aryan people as well as that
purposes. But historical details do not enjoy the status of being
of the peoples affected by their way of life. ... On the day I started
writing this novel, 12 October 1975, I barely managed to finish a
page. The second day was slightlybetter witha tally of three pages.
It was only after ten pages or so that I got into the swing of it, my
pace accelerating and my absorption total. In creating literary
works, it is a mistake to draw a distinction between the directly
experienced and the indirectly perceived. After all, whatever I
write is directly experienced by me. Maybe a detail here or there,
a word here or there, my not appear to be so experienced. But the Acknowledgements
basic material comes out only as a result of intense subjective
pressure. In so far as this material is concerned, there is no historical
I am indebted of Prof. K. Raghavendra Rao who has
disjunction between this time here and that time there, the
successfullyaccomplished the challenging task of rendering a work
subjective time and the objective time ... I was aware all along that
like Parva into English, which is being published under the Sahitya
I was not giving exact copies of the characters of the original
Akademi scheme of rendering modem classics in the different
MahZbhZrata, but only the different facets and forms of human
Indian languages into English.
nature and human relationships. Whenever I innovated a new
character or a new situation, I could see the dimension of this I am grateful to Dr. Pradhan Gurudatta, Reader, Institute of
novelty ... Kannada Studies, Manasagangotri, University of Mysore,
Mysore-6, and to Prof. N. Balasubrahmanya, Retired Professor of
"The novel that was gestating within me emerged out of me
English, University of Mysore, Mysore, who have made editorial
eventually as something different from what had been conceived
emendations, in addition to reading the final proofs.
from time to time. This applies both to its form and meaning ... The
experience of writing Parva gave me a new sense of things, a new S.L . Bhyrappa
feeling about everything, a new birth as it were. Practice and habit
are the grounds of most of our beliefs. When we abandon them in
order to view life from theperspcctiveof its terminal point ofdeath,
we reach out to a new awareness of human potentialities and
actualities, and gain a new vision, a new illumination ... How old
am I now? How many more years have I yet to go? Is there any
meaning I can scoop out of the years remaining for me here on
earth? These questions and reflection on them have served as a
drone of three notes to the music of this novel, and they have
sounded deep down in my mind and heart."
1007, Udayaravi Road, S.L. Bhyrappa
~uvem~una~ar,
Mysore - 570023.
any demands on my time, energy or even affection during the -
months when I wrestled with the task.
One last but not least acknowledgement. I must thank my
Translator's Note -
good friend Sind former colleague Dr.C.N. Ramachandran of
Mangalore University, a distinguished scholar in English and
Kannada, for shaping my sensibility and literary competence in
I must confess that, despite the formidable challenges and
many perceptible and imperceptible ways.
hazards, I have enjoyed working on this translation. I have tried to
be totally faithful to the original, producing virtually a word for K. Raghavendra Rao
word translation, but without losing its essential spirit and gusto.
Perhaps paradoxically, perhaps not, I have tried to producea work
which is meant to read Iikean English novel in its own right. I hope
--
I have achieved to some extent the impossible, reconciling the
irreconcilableaims of producing a literal translation and producing
a creative work. There is no way 1c an express adequately my
gratitude to my wife,Prabha, who notonly sustained me physically
during the months i slogged at it, but also helped me atwery step
with her expertise and scholarship in Kannada language and
literature. Indeed it would be honest to say that she has acted as
more than a co-translator. 1 must thank the author of the original
Kannada novel itself, Dr.S.L. Bhyrappa, for regarding me as a
reasonably good choice for the job and for enduring my silences
and vagaries as a correspondent. 1 can only hope that he will have
no occasion to regret his choice.
Special thanks aredue to Dr.H.M. Nayak who played a major
role in the proccss by which 1 was transformed into a translator of
the novel.
I want to place on record the encouragement given during the
darkest moments of this enterprise by my good friends, Dr.S.K.
Desai, I3r.G.S. Amur, Dr. Shankar Mokashi Rrnekar, Professor K.J.
Shah, Shri Channaveera Kanavi, and my newly acquired in-law,
Shri G.R. Huilgol.
I owe very special thanks to Dr.G.S. Amur who was kind
enough to give theentire text a thorough scrutiny and saved it from
quite a few inaccuracies and infelicities. If some of these persist,
the blame is wholly mine.
My children, Bhimu, Gopi, Madhu and Vaiju, showed
exemplary filial solicitude in letting me carry on the job without
Dedication
PARVA
to Gowramma,
my mother, nay, the very fountain head of my creativity,
THE territorybehveen the rivers Chandrabhaga and Iravathy
who, while grinding Raagi grain, was referred to as the land of the Madra people. Salya was its ruler,
sang to me verses from the Jaimini and Kumaaravyaasa Bharatas; now an old man. -Drawing his granddaughter closer, he asked,
"Can you guess how old I am now?" The girl who had just turned
explained their meaning to me,
twenty replied, "Grandpa, there is none older than you." The old
while feeding me with Raagi bread;
man said, 'Yet when I walk, my back doesn't bend, my waist
who, during her rare moments of leisure, wrote poems herself, doesn't sag. I can walk straight and stiff even now. Do you know
read them to me and shared them with me ; why?" The girl smiled with pride, saying, "Because you are so
strong, so lasting and durable." Laughing, as his now thinning
who appreciated the improvements I suggested,
beard shook, he said, "No, it is because we are old-timers,
and nurtured me ;
belonging to ancient times." The girl said, "Whenever you talk of
and who left me when I was eleven old times, you refer to 'we' and 'us'. Tell me how many are you?"
to remain alive as a memory. The old man answered, "How can one count people precisely?
Roughly all those of my age." The girl, "But you know that we
have none as old as you in our palace." He, 'Well, they are there in
other palaces, and also ordinary folk outside the palaces. They are
all rough and hardy, all old-timers." She, "But tell me why is this
so?" The old man explained,"You see, it is all due to their method
and system of life. They did not live the way you, the new
generation live. You see, you are all eager to abandon old paths of
the land and the tnie we belong to. You are all so ready to copy
alien ways of life."Even as he was speaking the girl interrupted to
say, "Grandpa, you seem to have forgotten that we had made an
agreement that we should never refer to this issue, and you have
forgotten it so soonafter we made it!" Theold man muttered, "Yes,
yes, why should I talk with you about such matters beyond your
control. Let your father return from his gambling session. I shall
discuss them withhim. But God knows when he will be back. No.
No. I have said it hundred times. I shall tell him now after
thrashing his back till the nerves get knotted." And the man who
guffawed a few.mornents before, vibrating his beard, now became
grave, and said, "Look here, by this time you should have married
and become a mother of one or two sons. Following your father's
wishes, you have remained a maid yet. What sense is there in this?"
2 Bhyrappa Parva 3
Hiranyavati was well aware that if she opposed him on this me see, I am thutysix years younger than Bhishma. I learn that he
issue, the old man would boil with rage. It wasn't at all unlikely is now one hundred and twenty years old. Which means, 1 shall
that he would even raise his hand and pummel her back. And they be ... Well, count on your fingers yourself."
were strong, thick and large hands, too. Yet she found her father's
Placing her long, slender, red fingers on a palm sharply etched
views more congenial. She was bemused that the old man was
with lines, the girl began to count. But before she could arrive at
under the illusion that her father had gone to gamble, but she knew
the result, yet another doubt gnawed at her, "How do you
the truth. Mother had whispered in her ear theprevious night the
know that Bhishma is one hundred and twenty years old?" But
truth. Well, she hoped that the purpose of his journey would be
seeing her grandfather's frowning, displeased face, she added
realised. That evening there were to be two more ritual offerings
defensively, "You see, the reason why I asked this question is
to the God of Fire. The old man spoke, half-audible, more to
because this Bhishma you are talking about never came to our
himself, 'Twenty cartloads of copper, brass, garments and
town, to our country. You also never went to his land."
ornaments would have come to us. Such a perfect beauty you are,
my girl." This enraged the girl fuither. She ruminated, 'Yes I am
perfect all right. Girls from our land are reputed to be beauties. These words plunged the old man into deep gravity. Noticing
Their faces are round and bright like the moon the day after this mood through the old man's sharp wrinkles, the girl thought
fullness." She remembered seeing her face in the polished metal it wise not to pursue the matter. By this time she had made her
surface. Even so, was it right to sell girls for bride-price? Because counting and found that one hundred and twenty minus thirtysix
of this custom we are looked down upon by other folks, the Kurus, came to eightyfour. She thought, "So very old is our grandpa!" But
the Panchalas, the Surasena, the Chedi, Kashi and Virata people, that Bhishma was evenolder by thirty six. She asked herself, "How
in fact, all people in theNorth- East. Yes, father is right. The eastern I much older and bigger than grandpa should be Bhishma?"
and the southern people do it differently and do it better. They Suddenly something flashed in her memory, and she asked,
arrange for the Svayamvara type of marriage in which the girl's folk "Please, grandpa don't get angry. I know that Bhishma had
offer the winning contestant the girl's hand, with cartloads of gifts. !I journeyed to our palace to ask our grandma's hand in marriage for
This would mean a place of self-respect in the husband's I his brother. Of course, I was not born then. But was father already
household, a glory to her own tribe. Or a handsome etriyap rince born at that time?"
I
of impeccable pedigree should arrive in a splendid chariot, love i
her and then elope with her to the whirring rhythm of the chariot- Grandpa spoke no further, but the girl had no idea why. He
wheels, thedust they raised, a real successful escape-nln, the heroic got up, opened the door and went out. The summer heat had
. defeating of the pursuing father and grandpa. Has thegrandpa the scorched the trees in thegardens. The town of Shakala, and indeed
strength to pursue the fleeing couple? He walks straight, back the whole of Madra, had never suffered from scarcity of water. Yet
straight and waist upright. i in the burning summer, how can there be enough water to quench
the thirst of the trees? Even the trees beyond the gardens also stood
Coming out of her reverie, she suddenly asked the old man, wholly dried up. How many more months for the rains to come?
"Grandpa, how old are you?" The old man, "You surely area smart Though the sun had set, the small rocks and stone slabs were hot.
one to distract me from the main issue. Why do you repeat the same He felt that, being king, he should not squat on the bare ground.
question?" "No, I amasking because you have never told me your His servant followed him with a mattress woven of dry elephant
exact age." The old man,'~ell, today you shall have it. I am grass. After it was unrolled, old king Salya ordered the servant to
eighty-four years todate." "But how doy ou keepcount of theyears leave. Then he sat quiet and all alone, in the arrested air which had
passed?" she asked. The old man said "How? well, let me see...", silenced even insects and birds. His neck, forehead and chest were
raising his eyes to the beams of honne wood in the ceiling, "... let all sticky with sweat. The rain should come this month itself, he
4 Bhyrappa Parva 5
thought. He muttered to himself, in a low but rhythmic cadence a replied, "Oh yes. I know that as you go west from our KUN land
vedic hynm addressed to Pa janya, the Rain God: brides are not given without bride-price. You want the bride's
price to be evaluated properly, don't you? I have ready for delivery
Mahantarn k&am uda ca nhiiica
twenty cartloads of goods and gifts. Copper vessels, garments of
Syandan fm kulyi+itSirn purastit cotton, silk and wool, one plateful of gold coins, and let me add
GhytEna dyiiviipthivi vyundhi that the Kuru coins are minted from the purest gold, not like the
Sup&piinam bhavantyaghnyiibyah ones you produce here in the west." What wealth the Kurus
commanded! Their capital Hastinavati enjoyed the reputation of
Kindly send us clouds dark and swollen being the richest city in the world. Yes, matrimonial relationship
Let rivers flow east inundated with a wealthy clan was forged. But after that Bhishma did not
Soak this world and also the celestial one with water pure care to visit them even once! He never treated Salya as an equal.
Let all the cattle get waters clear to drink to their fill. He went off with a maiden. After that his sister did not visit her
natal home even once, not even when sent for, out of anger that she
When the rain poured drumming the earth, first it would soak had been given to an impotent husband. Which Madra woman
the shoulders, arms, head and back, killing heat sores, bringing would not get angry if a husband who was not filled with semen
peace. A whole cycle of years had passed since Bhishma had taken was tied to her in marriage? Semen should pour like rain, to quench
away his sister. He had not come again to look up his relatives. the thirst, to give peace.
Salya thought that during that year he came once to demonstrate
At that moment, a bevy of bewitching girls carrying huge
the bonds of kinship. He had entered the town, leaving his army
water-filled mud-pots approached. They sprinkled water
camp outside its precincts, came to the palace, with haughtiness,
generously all over the ground in the garden. No sooner did they
asked a bride for Vichitraveerya's son, behaving as if he was doing
"... sprinkle water than the parched earth drank it up dry. The girls
them a favour. He had asked Bhishma, Bhishma, I do consider
had to bring water again and again to sprinkle over dried-up earth.
it a great privilege and good fortune to offer my sister to the Kuru
The old king shouted, "Oh, servants, keep on pouring water
family. But I have been informed that your brother Pandu has
incessantly." The leader of the gang said, "It would create a slush."
already married the daughter of king Sura, and the adopted
The king answered her, "Let it be. Let the earth get wet." As he
daughter of Kuntibhoja. While a first and senior wife is there, what
uttered his command, the girls began to sprinkle water with
happiness can my sister really enpy?" Bhishma with a voice as
vigour,letting the water sieve through theirright palms held across
deep and skong and large as his body, had answered, "How can a
the mouths of the pots. The air became soothing, cooled by the
woman who, even after three years of married life, did not become
water. As soon as the girls departed, the king's mind returned to
pregnant even once retain seniority among wives? Tell me, Madra
imagine and visualise the Kuru wealth. How many elephants!
King. Don't you know that in a pure Aryan family a wife's position
How many cows! How many chariots and horses! How many
is determined by the children she delivers, especially male ones?
utensils! They had no earthen pots, all copper vessels. And gold
Women from your land are known for wombs fertile enough to
accumulated over coun tless genera tions, dominated by figures like
yield at least ten sons without any doubt. In beauty, they are
matchless." These words boosted his own pride. But even her (here he counted with his fingers) Rishtisena, Pratapa, Dilipa,
beauty had faded from his memory, and the years had revolved. Bhimasena, Riksha, Devatithi, Akrodhana, and he stopped at this
Yet she was beautiful, and, of c'ourse, every Madra woman was a name, unable to go beyond. A huge rock blocked the memory and
beauty. Salya wiped away the sweat with the upper cotton behind it many generations were hidden. He scoured his memory
garment he was wearing. He had asked Bhishma, "Oh Bhishma, for thename of the low-caste herald who had visited and told them
you are aware of our custom in these matters?" Bhishma had about the founder of Hasthinavati, whose name was Hastina, who
Parva 7
6 Bhyrappa
we follow their practice? Let us follow our practice of bride-price.
was believed to be of forty generations preceding Bhishma. What
Then wealth would come in, not go ou t. It would also save the girl's
immensity of wealth must have piled up in all these years in that
fertility period from going to waste. To prevent an ou t-of-wedlock
city! He wished that they, too, could find out an appropriate
conception, you had to torture the girl with monstrous discipline.
heraldic group to get them to sing the glory of the Madra clan. As
Don't you see the immense futili8tya nd folly of all this?"
the water that soaked the earth cooled the air, insects piercing the
body began to disappear. As Salya, yawning, stretching his arms, The son remained silent. The father naturally inferred that the
was flexing his body, his grand-daughter arrived to announce, son had no answer, and encouraged by this silence, he pressed
"Grandpa, father has just returned." The grand-father asked her to further, "The central and supreme moral law for us is that it is the
send him there. highest sin to waste a woman's period of fertility. I consider it my
duty to enforce this law, not to tolerate any transgression of this
Soon his sonRukmaratha joined him. Looking much younger
law." The son, "Look, father. You have not seen the world beyond
than his fifty years, the son, adjusting his upper garment, stood
the Madra country. The reputation of our Madra women's beauty
before his father, bowed with reverence and touched the ground
and physical attraction has spread far and wide. But people also
in salutation. After his father had sniffed his head, he sat down
refer disapprovingly to the great sexual freedom enjoyed by our
two steps away from the old man. The father, "Haven't you been
women. Should you tell them in the eastern lands that you hail
away for a fortnight now, Rukmaratha?" Son, "Yes, father." "How
from Madratthey would ask you to take them to Madra where they
much did you gambIe away? What were the goods you gambled
hint that they would enjoy the very heaven. I think we should try
away?" Son, "No, sir. I amnota losing gambler. I did not win much,
to counter such questionable reputation." The father raised 'his
certainly. But my trip was for something else, and gambling was a
voice, 'These are our land's customs and traditions. We have no
mere pretext,father." Father, "Well, what was this workof the State
right to condemn them as improper." Yet, the old man's voice
you went for?" The son, "Youshouldn't get angry that what I want
contained no real anger. The son did not find it necessary to reply.
to do would involve giving up our tribal customs and traditions."
He had realised that his father's opposition had weakened during
Father, "I presume it is about arranging a Svayamvara mode of
the last two years. All that the old man now wanted was a speedy
marriage for your daughter. Right?" Son, "Father, you seem to be
marriage, let it be of any form, even Svayamvara. Whenever his
omniscient." Father, "All right. We are now more wealthy. Have
daughter menstruated, his father would count it as one life-time of
your way, set upa Svayamvara and \hen send wedding gifts. Look,
hell. It would pain him, even anger him. Sometimes it also scared
it must be donewith alacrity.The girl has already menstruated fifty
him. Of course, in the heart of his heart, he, the son, too, was scared.
times after attaining maturity. If the juices of fertility in the womb
But if out of fear he adopted the bride-price practice and not
are not given the chance to blend with the semen, the time involved
Svayamvara, and sent off his daughter to her husband's home
is counted sinning. Do you realise that for the sin of wasting her
without any pomp and ceremony, how could it enhance the
fifty menstruations, you, I and your grand-father may very well be
reputation and status of their clan?
consigned to hell?" Son, "Father, what you say is true. But
Svayamvara requires lot of wealth. It involves inviting princes from
many lands -- not only princes but even kings. Then the expense Father, " All right. So you went to arrange for the Svayamvara
of their hospitality, their presents, wedding gifts, and so on. It under the pretext of going out to gamble. Tell me what were the
would amount to spending of immeasurable resources. It took me things you did." Son, " I must confess that right now we are not in
a fortnight to make the arrangements. You know that we are not a position to conducta Svayamvara." Father, " There you are. Didn't
Kurus and Panchalas or the kings of Kashi and Magadha to , I teH you that any effort to transcend the clan custom would invite
command the facility of drawing on thecoffers". The father, "Well, hundreds of obstacles!" His voice was now raised somewhat. Now
don't you see? If we lack their wealth and resource, why should , the voice had also acquired a sharp edge of anger.
.'I
8 Bhyrappa Parva 9
The son, unruffled, spoke in an even tone, "Followed by
they had no right to call themselves Kauravas. He even held that
chariots, horses and fifty archers I had gone to theTrigarta country.
it was a mistake, in the first place, to have given them the
Its king Susharma is an old friend of mine. Svayamvara is all right,
Khandavaprastha territory, but he could right this wrong through
he said, but if only our western kings and princes assembled for it.
winning it in the game of dice. He argued with his elders that they
Otherwise, it wouldn't amount to much in terms of prestige. Kuru,
should not once again wrong this right!" The father, angry and
Panchala, Kashi, Magadha and Chedhi representatives from one
perhaps half- comprehending, "What did Duryodhana say?" The
side, and then from the other, princes from Vidarbha, Dwaraka
son, "He claimed that the five were not born to their father's seed,
now in the hands of Yadavas, and, in fact, representativesf rom all
and that their mothers conceived and delivered them after
directions - Indra, Agni, Yama and Vayavya - should
intercourse with utter strangers. Thus they were not strictly
participate. The Brahmanas and specialists in sacred rituals from
Kauravas and they had no official status in the Kaurava's
Kuru, Panchala, should all come. Then the Svayamvara will turn out
kingdom!"
to be great and glorious. You pIease start the pregarations. I shall
send the material needed for providing grand hospitality to the The old man's brain stopped functioning for a while. There
guests. However, right now none from the eastern lands is in a was the monotonous drone of the dark night inside. Out there was
position to come." The old ruler queried, 'Why, what has a faint moonlight. What was the day today?, he asked himself. The
happened?" The son, "You know that old feud of Hastinavati fifth day of thebright half. Slowlyadjusting to thedarkness, wiping
between the progeny of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Pandu's his face gently, he said, 'What nonsense! They did not produce
children have completed twelve years of stay in forest and one year children by illicit intercourse with nobodies and anybodies. They
of incognito life. .. You see the two are involved in a war, and ..." He gavechildren according to accepted Niyoga principle. It was Pandu
stopped mid-way, interrupted by the old man, who asked, "By the himself who ordered his wives to practise Niyoga in order to
way where did they spend their incognitoy ear?" The son, "Nearby perpetuate the lineage. They did everything perf~tlyi n
in Virata city." Father, 'You know the proverb that the thief hides accordance with the established moral code. Duryodhana is a
himself behind the front dmr is very true!" The son, "Duryodhana cheat. Unwilling to part with the land, he is cooking up such
thought that they would do this in a far away place. Imagining that unethical pretexts. Send our army. Let us hurry to the support of
they would live incognito in the land of their in-law Drupada or in Pandavas, kill the wicked Duryodhana and re-establish the
distant Dwaraka of their friend Krishna, he sent spies to these kingdom of the supreme moral law, the Dharma."
places. He also sent men towards the Himalayas to spot them. Now
The son, "Look here, father. Nowadays you simply shout and
they have finished the required thirteen years of exile, and they are
scream to no purpose. Why do you do this?"
asking for their kingdom back. When they sent a messenger asking
for it, Duryodhana sent the blunt reply that he wouldn't return it!"
The father, "What else can one do but get angry when what is
"Once they taste land and woman none will be ready to part with
Dharma is called Adharma and what is Adharrna as Dharrna? Good
them," the old man said with a toothless laugh. The son, "It was
Lord, you are so quiet. Do you agree with Duryodhana's words?"
not merely a question of enjoying the right of possession. No,
The son, "It is true that he pursued these arguments in order to
Duryodhana seems to have based his refusaI on a more
avoid returning their land. Yet I wonder whether there would not
fundamental ground. He argued that only he and his thirteen
be a difference between being born to the lineage seed, and to other
brothers, and one sister were all born to the true Kuru lineage as
seeds, even if with the husband's approval and knowledge."
children of Dhritarashtra. He chimed that the five Pandavas were
not really born to the Kuru seed. He asserted that Pandu's wives
The father, "In the eyes of supreme moral law, the Dhama,
produced children impregnated by passing strangers. Therefore,
there is no difference, absolutely none. You must be committed to
Dharrna."