Who wast so princely-hearted, and upheldst
The fortune of the Kurus! vows of men
Fail ofttimes, being blind; but this of thine
Was noble, wherefore hath it borne not fruit?
Oh, Dhananjaya!* Conqueror of wealth!
My joy, my brave Arjuna! at thy birth
The glad Gods said to Kunti: "This thy son
Shall be like Indra with the thousand eyes.'
And northwards of the Paripatra hills
All people cried: 'Here is the chief shall bring
The glory back to us, having such strength
That in the battle none will make him fly,
And none shall stand when he pursueth.'
Ah, Jishnu!-how is this befallen here,
Killing those hopes with thee, with thee, whose love
Made all our dangers sweet? And Sahadev,
And Nakula! so valiant in the fight,
So high and gallant, gifted like the Gods,
How have ye fallen? who could conquer you?
Is my heart stone that now it breaketh not,†
Seeing these great Twins gone, the first of men,
Heroes, the half of whose renowned work
Was yet to do? Ye knew the Shastras-knew
The times and places and observances,
And kept the rites; how lie ye on the earth,
Unconquered ones! thus slain, thus overcome,
And not a wound to show-nay! but the strings.
Not slipped into the notches of your bows?"
So broke the sorrow forth from Yudhisthir
Beholding all four brethren lying still,
Prone, like four corpses set asleep by Death;
Much grieved he, and the marvel chilled his blood:
Nor wist he, though so wise, whither to look
For that which slew them. Yet, close-pondering,
Unto himself he spake, "No hurts they bear
Made by a mortal weapon, nor is print
Of footmark nigh, save theirs; this is some Bhut!
Some Spirit of the Waste!-But let me drink,
And afterward consider; it may be
The vile Duryodhana hath drugged the pool,
By counsel of Gandhâra's king; the wise
Trust never him with senses unsubdued,
* धनञ्जयः
+ अश्मसारमयं नूनं हृदयं मम दुर्हद्र:
To whom things lawful and unlawful count
One and the same; yea! but this thing may be
Wrought by hid hatred of Duryodhana."
Thus mused the King, but murmured presently:
"Pure and unsullied seems the water; fresh
My brothers' faces are; no poison-stain
Mars limb or lip! 'tis Yama's self hath come,
The Conqueror of all, and slain them here,
Whom none but he dared strike, being so strong."
So saying, to the brink he drew, athirst,
And stooped to drink, when, close at hand, he heard
A bird's cry, and the Yaksha, taking shape,
Spake: "A grey crane I am, feeding on fish
And water-weeds; 'tis I have sent yon four
Unto the regions of the Dead, and thou
Shalt go, the fifth, great Rajah, following them,
Except thou makest answers fair and good
To all that I shall ask. Dare not to drink,
Thou Son of Kunti! for my law is strong;
Answer; and afterwards, drink thou, and draw !"
Spake Yudhisthir: "Who art thou? Art thou Chief
Of Rudras, or of Vâsus, or Marûts?
Tell me! No bird wrought thus, unless a bird
Might overthrow Himavân, and the peaks
Of Paripatra, or the Vindhya crags,
Or Malabar's black ghâts. Ah! terrible
And mighty.One, this is a dread deed wrought!
This is a marvel, if thou slewed'st those
Whom Gods, and Gandharvas, and Asuras,
And Demons, dared not face in fight. I know
Naught of thy mind, nor if thou didst, this thing
Desiring aught; wonder and fear possess
My burdened heart! I pray thee, show thyself,
Reveal what God thou art, who hauntest here."
"Yea, King!" came answer; "I am not a bird
Wading the shallows, but a Yaksha dread,
And I, as now thou seest me, killed these four."
Rajah! (so Vaisampayana went on),
When Yudhisthira heard those scornful words,
And saw that form, backward he drew a space,
G G
Then thus he questioned, and the King replied
Yaksha. "What teacheth division 'twixt spirit and frame2
And which is the practice assisteth the same?
What finally freeth the spirit? And how
Doth it find a new being? Resolve me these now
Gazing upon the Shape with eyes of flame,
Bulked like a crag, with towering head which topped
The fan-palms waving near; shining as shines
The glory of the sun, not to be borne.
For splendour, coloured like an evening cloud,
And like a cloud still shifting. Then it spake,
That monstrous Shade: "These four, though I forbade,
Drank of the pool, despite me, and were slain.
Drink not, oh King! if thou desirest life;
Oh, Son of Pritha, drink not! Kunti's child,
Answer my questionings, then drink, and live!"
King. "The Veds division plainly show;
By worship rightly man doth go;
Dharma the soul will surely free;
In Truth its final rest shall be."
"
"I would not break thy rule," quoth Yudhisthir;
"The wise have said, Keep every where the law,'
And, Yaksha! wherein thou wilt question me
None can speak better than he understands,
So, what I know, that will I answer.
Ask!"
"How cometh a man in the Veds to be wise?
What bringeth the knowledge of God to his eyes ?
What learning shall teach him the uttermost lore?
And whence will he win it? Reply to these fou
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By hearing Scripture man acquires ;
By doing it his soul aspires;
The utmost lore is conquering sense,
Which cometh of obedience."
"How wendeth a Brahman to heavenly rest?
And what is the work that befitteth him best?
And which are the sins that disgrace him? and by
Doth he know himself humble and mortal?
Reply!"
"Reading the Vedas leads to rest;
Pure meditation fits him best;
Slander and cruelty defame;
And Death marks him and all the same."
"Who is it that gifted with senses to see,
To hear, taste, smell, handle; and seeming to be
Sagacious, strong, fortunate, able, and fair;
Hath never once lived, though he breatheth the air?"
"The man who, having, doth not give
Out of his treasure to these five
Gods, guests, and Pitris, kin and friend;
Breathes breath, but lives not, to life's end?"
"What thing in the world weigheth more than the world?
What thing goeth higher than white clouds are curled?
What thing flieth quicker than winds o'er the main?
And what groweth thicker than grass on the plain ?"
"A mother's heart outweighs the earth;
A father's fondness goeth forth
Beyond the sky; thought can outpass
The winds; and woes grow more than grass."
"Whose eyes are unclosed, though he slumbers all day?
And what's born alive without motion? and, say,
What moveth, yet lives not? and what, as it goes,
Wastes not, but still waxes?
"With unclosed eyes a fish doth sleep;
And new-laid eggs their place will keep;
Stones roll; and streams, that seek the sea,
The more they flow the wider be."
"What help is the best help to virtue? and, then,
What way is the best way to fame among men?
What road is the best road to heaven? and how
Shall a man live most happy?
Truth is to heaven the best of ways;
And a kind heart wins happy days."
"What soul hath a man's which is his, yet another's?
What friend do the Gods grant, the best of all others?
What joy in existence is greatest? and how
May poor men be rich and abundant? say thou.”
"Sons are the second souls of man;
And wives the heaven-sent friends; nor can
Among all joys health be surpassed;
Contentment answereth thy last."
"Which Virtue of Virtues is first? and which bears
Most fruit? and which causeth the ceasing of tears?"
"To bear no malice is the best;
And Reverence is fruitfullest ;
Subduing self sets grief at rest."
"Still, tell me what foeman is worst to subdue?
And what is the sickness lasts life-time all through?
Of men that are upright say which is the best?
And of those that are wicked, who passeth the rest?"
Anger is man's unconquered foe;
The ache of greed doth never go;
Who loveth most of saints is first;
Of bad men cruel men are worst."
"Good Prince! tell me true, is a Brahmana made
By birthright? or shall it be rightfully said,
If he reads all the Veds, and the Srutis doth know,
He is this? or doth conduct of life make him so?"
"Oh Yaksha! listen to the truth:
Not if a man do dwell from youth
Beneath a Brahman's roof, nor when
The Srutis known to holy men
Are learned, and read the Vedas through,
Doth this make any Brahman true.
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